


Truth is Stranger than Fiction.

by Saltandburnboys



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age manipulation, Hurt/Comfort, Protective!Chris, Scars, bottom!Jensen, hurt!Jensen, protective!Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-17
Updated: 2012-08-17
Packaged: 2017-11-12 08:52:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/489043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saltandburnboys/pseuds/Saltandburnboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen had a new life and a new name, he’d left everything behind.  Or so he’d thought.  When strange and horrific events began to point to a horror from his former life, he had to admit that maybe he hadn’t left his old life as firmly in his past as he’d once thought.  As his friends were killed off, one by one, he was left wondering who he could trust and who couldn’t as the game of life and death he was unwilling caught up in rapidly sped towards an inevitable and terrifying conclusion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One.

**Author's Note:**

> Clearly this is an AU story; this never happened. I do not own any of the actors in this story, especially not Jared or Jensen, they all belong to themselves. Jared and Jensen are not in a relationship, have never been and have no desire to be in a relationship; they are both happily married and not to each other which is awesome for both of them. None of the other pairings in the story exist either. It is pure and utter, self-indulgent fiction. It is based on the film ‘Urban Legend,’ which was directed by Jamie Blanks and written by Silvio Horta. I don’t own the idea and do not profess to do so; I just used it as a template to write a J2 story because it was an awesome film. Obviously, I don’t own any of the urban legends I used in the story. The title of this story – ‘Truth is Stranger than Fiction’ was coined by Lord Byron in the poem Don Juan 1823. Any references to the programme 'Supernatural' do not belong to me, but to the CW network and Eric Kripke. This is a COMPLETE story. I made no money from this story. 
> 
> I apologise to the villain in this story; I am positive they are an awesome person in real life. I apologise for abusing Jensen sooo badly in this story but I am a bit of a hurt!Jensen and protective!Jared junkie so this is what came out. I KNOW none of the people in my story are how I have written this, it is a work of complete and utter self-indulgent fiction. I am sure they are all amazingly awesome people.

 

** Chapter One. **

 

Jensen sat in the quad waiting for his best friend, Chris, breathing in the fresh clean air.  He liked it there at the university; he'd made some really good friends and his classes were great.  Jensen felt that the last year had been really good for him; it had got him away from everything that happened in Texas, had helped him move on with his life and try to forget everything that had come before. 

 

Jensen smiled when he heard the faint murmur of country music that always signalled Chris' arrival, he always played his damn I-pod too loud.  Jensen grinned when Chris rounded the corner and sat down next to him on the grass.  It was still early so there was hardly anyone in the quad yet and Jensen was just enjoying the peace before the hoards of students exited their dorms on their way to class.

  
'How goes it, Jen?'  Came the lazy drawl from his friend.

 

'Good, how was your date last night?'  Jensen asked purely out of politeness, his friend didn't really _date_ people as such, he was more of a ‘fuck 'em and leave 'em’ kind of guy. 

 

'It was awesome, man, I love dating gymnasts, so limber.'  Chris leered at Jensen and Jensen punched him lightly in the arm.

  
  
   
 _'Way_ too much information, man.'  He laughed.  'You gonna see her again?'

'Nah.'  Of course not.

 

'God, do you even know what her name was, Chris?'  Jensen asked exasperated.  Jensen didn't really believe in one night stands, he was more into relationships than random hook ups but, given his past, that wasn’t really much of a surprise.  He just couldn't see how Chris could want to be with a different girl every night of the week.

  
  
  
'Might have been Catherine.'  Chris tilted his head to look at Jensen, then smirked, 'Or it might not have been.'  At Jensen's glare he added, 'Hey, I make no promises, they know exactly what they're getting when they come back with me.'  That was true, Chris had somewhat of a reputation now.

 

  
  
It was funny that they were such good friends actually, and had they not been roomed together at the start of the year, Jensen, honestly, didn’t think they would ever have crossed paths.  They were complete polar opposites; Chris loved being the centre of attention, he was the front man of his band _'Kane'_ and would sleep with any girl that passed his way whereas Jensen, well…Jensen just didn't.

  
  
  
'Whatever.  So we gonna make a start on this psych paper or what?'  Chris asked, the subject and the girl forgotten.

 

  
  
'Sure, sure.'  They both pulled their books out of their bags and started discussing the topic for the paper.  They made a good team, what with being so different, and it always gave them higher grades on their papers when they explored both sides of the argument together. 

 

Jensen was chewing on the end of his pen when he heard a loud, booming laugh nearby and looked up.  Then he saw him - Jared Padalecki, whom he'd been crushing on since the first time he saw him at one of the freshman parties.  The guy was gorgeous; he was tall, built, with a mass of floppy hair that seemed unable to stay out of his eyes and, _God,_ those intense hazel eyes that Jensen wished would just look at _him_.  Just once. 

 

But they never did.  Jared Padalecki was way too cool for someone like Jensen; he was friends with everyone, head of the college paper, and quarterback of the football team so he certainly didn’t need someone like Jensen in his life.  That didn't stop Jensen pining after him, though, despite Chris calling him a dumbass for longing for someone who wouldn't even give him a second glance.  

 

Then he was gone and Jensen watched his broad shoulders and back leave and walk to one of the neighbouring buildings.

 

Chris interrupted his staring, 'Come on, Jen, get your eyes off that jerk and get them back on this paper.'  Jensen bristled, just because Jared didn’t like him, like _at_ _all_ , didn't make him a jerk and Jensen had seen him with other people, he knew that Jared was a good guy.  He just didn't like Jensen is all, not surprising really, Jensen was a freak.

  
  
  
'He's not a jerk, Chris.'  Jensen sighed.  They'd had this discussion so many times over the last year but Chris was hugely protective of him and pretty much felt that anyone who didn't like Jensen was a jerk.  As much as Jensen liked the fact that his friend cared so much, he really hated anyone calling Jared a jerk. 

  
  
  
'The dude has never even spoken to you, not once, and that guy talks to _everyone_ , except the one guy that turns up to all his football games and reads every article he writes in the damn paper.'  Jensen blushed, _God how pathetic did that sound?_

 

'Still doesn't make him a jerk, Chris, he's just letting me know he's not interested, that's not a crime.'

  
  
  
'Well he's a fucking idiot then.'  Chris always got kind of heated in these arguments and Jensen just didn't have the energy for it today.

 

'Can we just leave this, Chris, and get on with this paper.'

  
'Course man, sorry.'  Chris looked sadly at him and it looked a little too close to pity for Jensen's liking.  He knew that Chris worried about him; he hadn't hooked up with anyone since he got there and that really freaked his friend out.  Chris was always telling him that he needed to find someone, that there was someone special out there if Jensen just looked hard enough.  

 

It wasn't that Jensen didn't believe his friend, it was just that Chris didn't know Jensen's past, no one did.

  
_ Jensen opened the door, laughing at something his sister had said but he stopped when he saw two officers on his doorstep.  _

  
  
  
_ 'Um, can I help you?' _

  
_ 'Jensen Ackles?'  One of the cops asked; his cool, professional demeanour was extremely unnerving to Jensen. _

 

_ 'Yes.' _

  
  
  
_ 'Can we come inside for a moment, we have some bad news.'  Jensen's parents were out for the evening so his heart immediately started to beat faster as he led the officers into the living room.  Car crash?  Mugging? All the terrible possibilities started whirling around his head. _

  
  
  
_ 'Anna, sweetie, can you go upstairs for minute please?'  The 12 year old frowned but went.  'Sorry...God, is it my parents?  Are they okay?' _

  
_ 'Your parents are fine, as far as we’re aware, Jensen. We're here concerning a Matt Bomer.' _

 

That _, Jensen wasn't expecting.  'Matt? Why?  What's the matter?'_

  
_ 'Mr. Bomer was found dead this evening outside his place of work.'  Jensen stomach flopped and he felt the blood rush from his face. _

 

  
  
 _ 'I'm sorry…what?' _

  
_ 'Matt Bomer's body was found outside La Traviata at 6pm this evening.  His parents are out of town and we need someone to identify the body.  Matt was your boyfriend, we understand?'  Jensen just nodded.  This wasn't happening, he and Matt were going to prom next week then they were going to college together and…this just...this couldn't... Jensen leapt to his feet and ran into the kitchen and vomited in the sink.  He sank to the floor, dropping his head in his hands as the tears fell.  _

 

_ He remembered thinking; ‘Maybe someone will take me seriously now.’ _

  
Jensen blinked away the memory, that was in the past, and it had to stay there or Jensen knew he’d go insane.  
  
  



	2. Chapter Two.

  
** Chapter Two. **

   
Jensen was sitting in the corner nursing his first beer, he _never_ got drunk, just trying to keep out of everyone's way.  He wished he hadn't come but Chris had begged him to come to at least one party with him and, since Jensen had finished all his assignments for the week, he decided to indulge his friend for once. 

 

He’d retreated to the corner about half an hour in when Chris had found a pretty blonde to hook up with for the night.  Jensen had assured his friend that he would be fine and that he really didn't need a babysitter.  He had lied through his teeth; Jensen wasn't fine, not really, there were too many people and definitely too many he didn't know.  That was never a good mix for him so he tried to make himself as small as possible in the corner and hope that he would go unnoticed. 

 

Jensen had told Chris he wouldn't leave before one; he knew his friend would need help getting back to the dorms since he'd be smashed after this and Jensen wasn't going to leave him on his own.

  
'Hey, I'm real sorry man, but the guy's a dick.'  Jensen looked up and saw none other than Jared Freaking Padalecki looking down at him with a sympathetic expression on his handsome face. 

 

Jensen looked from side to side to see if the guy was talking to someone else because  one - Jared Padalecki, _Mr Popular_ , did _not_ talk to Jensen and two - he had no idea what the man was talking about.

   
  
  
'Excuse me?'

 

'Chris, he's a dick, I saw him making out with Katie Cassidy pretty hot and heavy in one of the rooms upstairs, it's totally not on, man.'

  
'Jesus, she's not your girlfriend is she Jared?   I'm really sorry, Chris is a little....um uncontrollable when he's had a few drinks.'  Jensen smiled apologetically at the _very_ large man in front of him hoping to save his friend (and maybe himself as well) from having his ass handed to him by the entire college football team. 

  
  
  
Jared raised an eyebrow and shook his head, looking a little confused.  'God no, me and Cassidy, no way.  I mean you and Chris, you should totally cut him loose, you deserve so much better than that.'  Jared looked angrily at the direction of the upstairs’ bedrooms.

   
  
  
Huh?  What the hell was the guy talking about?  Oh. My. God!  He didn't think?  Ha!  He couldn't wait till he told Chris this; the guy was gonna be so pissed.  'Oh no, me and Chris…we're not together.  Chris is 100% straight, _believe me_ , I live with the guy.  I'm here pretty much just here as the designated driver, so to speak.'  He held up his first and only beer for emphasis.

  
  
  
'Really?'  Jared looked suspicious for a moment, 'I could have sworn...'

  
_'Really_ , he'd kick your ass, and then mine as well probably, if you implied that me and him have had anything to do with each other's...'  And he stopped himself there, blushing furiously, had he really been about to say cocks in front of Jared, _really?_   And he couldn't even blame the booze.  He was such a loser.

  
Jensen dared to look up at Jared and braced himself for the disdainful look he knew he would find on the man’s face.

 

Instead, he was met with a wide grin, 'Chris is gonna kick _my_ ass, Jensen?'  And was it Jensen or was Jared _really_ close now?  Jensen looked up at the six foot five wall of muscle in front of him, and thought of his five foot nine friend. 

 

'Maybe not, but he'd give it a good go just on principle.'  Jensen replied, God, the guy was freaking huge and it was doing funny things to Jensen’s libido right then that he was pretty damn sure that Jared wouldn’t appreciate.

 

  
  
Jared threw his head back and laughed, taking a seat next to Jensen.  'God, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.'  
 

'What? That you'd be able to take Chris?  ‘Cause I'm pretty sure you already knew...' 

 

Jensen's rambling was interrupted by a pair of soft lips against his own. 

 

'This okay?'  Jensen felt Jared's hand brush across his cheek and he just nodded, not really understanding what was going on.  Jared's lips met Jensen's a second time and the spark that went through Jensen's body at the contact was finally enough for him to wake up and kiss Jared back. 

 

Jared deepened the kiss once he felt Jensen respond, drawing a deep moan from Jensen that he would totally deny later.  Jared was a warm presence against his body until...he wasn't. 

  
  
  
'Get the fuck off him, Padalecki.'  Chris had Jared against the wall of the frat house.  
 

'Chris, what the _hell_ are you doing?'

  
'Keeping this bastard away from you.  Come on, Jen, we're leaving.'  Jensen had no idea what the hell was going on.

 

'Like hell he is, who the fuck do you think you are, Kane?'  Jared loomed over the shorter man.

   
'I'm _Jensen's_ best friend and don't think I don't know about the bets you football players make.'  Chris shot back, venom in his voice, as Jensen’s own stomach plummeted at the words.

 

'Bets?  Jared?'  Jensen's voice was much smaller than he would have liked but they'd drawn the attention of the whole room by then and that really wasn't okay with him.

  
'Jensen, no, it’s not…'

 

‘It’s not _what?_   Don't even try to deny it, Golden Boy, I heard Chad bragging about the points he got tonight, not ten minutes ago, and how he was going to finally top your unbeaten record.'  Jensen paled at the thought that he might have been used to make up some of those points and he looked at Jared with pleading eyes.  Jared was as pale as he was and his jaw was ticking with tension.  He looked Jensen in the eyes, 'No, Jensen, really, you weren't…'

  
  
  
‘Save it, Padalecki, and stay away from Jensen.'  Jensen couldn't speak, he could feel the eyes in the room burning into him and he really hated Jared for making everyone notice him like this, let alone making a fool of him in front of them all as well.

  
Jared's face moved to Kane's, displaying anger that Jensen didn't really feel he was all that justified in feeling, 'Yeah and what are you gonna do to stop me Kane?'  He was looming again and Chris took a step towards the taller man; this was going to end badly if Jensen didn't do something.  He stepped forwards, between the two men, and placed his hands on Chris's chest.

  
  
  
'Please, Chris can we just go, _please_?'  Chris looked at him and his face softened instantly.

  
  
  
'Sure, Jen, let's get you home.'  Chris laid a hand on his arm and started to pull him gently towards the door and away from the prying eyes of the other party members.

 

Jensen felt a large hand on his arm.  'Jensen please, just let me explain, it's not what it sounds like.'  Jensen pulled his arm away.

 

'No Jared, I can't do this…I don't go in for that crap, I don’t have time for games; if you want that, go find yourself someone else and just leave me alone.'

 

****

 

Back in their room Chris made him a hot chocolate; he always did that when Jensen woke up from one of his nightmares, knowing that it calmed Jensen down and made him feel safe.  Jensen’s mom used to make them for him when he was a kid, whenever he was afraid, and they still worked even if the monsters in his life now were far more real than they had been when he was a child.

  
'I'm sorry, man, I was a total jackass for leaving you alone like that.'  Chris looked so wretched that Jensen's own heart hurt; he knew that he was lucky to have such a great friend to look out for him.

   
  
  
'No, Chris it's okay, you didn't know.  God, _I_ should’ve known; him so suddenly showing an interest in me, I just kind of hoped, you know.'  Jensen sipped at the hot chocolate, not really tasting it; he could still taste Jared on his lips and, _God help him,_ he wasn’t sure that he wanted that taste gone quite yet.

  
  
  
'I know, but the guy's a bastard, Jen, you need to stay away from him, okay?’  Chris rubbed his arms reassuringly and Jensen laid back down on his bed, suddenly tired from the whirlwind of emotions he had felt in the past couple of hours.

  
'Yeah, you're right Chris.  Thanks, man.'  Jensen knew that Chris was right, and he had meant what he had said earlier; Jensen’s life was complicated enough without someone like Jared playing games with him.

  
'No problem, Jen.'

 

And with that Jensen fell asleep.  
  
  



	3. Chapter Three.

** Chapter Three. **

  
  
A week later, having evaded all of Jared's numerous phone calls and deleted all his messages (God only knew how the guy managed to get both of his numbers; he’d probably flashed those freaking dimples at one of the girls in admissions and they’d handed them right over!) he was finally cornered in the library by six and a half feet of Padalecki.

 

Jensen was in one of the study rooms and looked up when the door opened; his heart rate sky rocketed when Jared locked the door behind him.  _Nononononono_ , Jensen couldn't deal with being locked in anywhere, not after what had happened, _nonono_ , the world started to dim and Jensen was lost in his memories.

_ Jensen awoke, his head fuzzy, not knowing where he was. He was lying on something soft; he remembered going to the bar and ordering  _ way _too many beers, trying to forget his life just for a little while and then…nothing._

 

_ He tried to move his arms but found he couldn't.  Jensen pulled harder and heard a dull metal clanging.  Looking up he found his hands cuffed to the frame of the bed he was lying on.  Shit.  _

 

_ Was the guy there?  The guy who'd tormented him for the past six months, oh God, he was gonna die just like Matt and…and… Jensen started to panic and pull at the restraints, he could feel the room getting smaller as he fought to get free.  He couldn't breathe, couldn't get enough air in his lungs… _

'Jensen!  Jensen, _Jesus_ _Christ_ , don't do this to me, wake up, please.'  Jensen was brought abruptly back to the present by the large hand pressed against his chest and a slow rocking motion.  He opened his eyes a little and saw Jared behind him, holding Jensen to his chest.  'Oh, thank God.  Jensen are you okay?  I think you had a panic attack.'

  
'I...the door...locked.'  Jensen tried to make Jared understand but his brain wasn't really functioning all that well right then. 

  
  
  
'Shit, I'm sorry, I just really needed to talk to you and I didn’t want anyone to disturb us till I'd explained everything.'  He helped Jensen back up into his chair and hurried to unlock the door and open it a fraction.  At least then, Jensen felt like he could breathe again.  

 

Jared sat down in the seat next to him and Jensen’s mind was clear enough now to pull his hand away when Jared reached for it.  He'd spent the last week angsting about being a bet, feeling equal parts stupid and humiliated, and it wasn't a fun feeling.  And it was all Jared's fault.

   
  
  
The agonised look on Jared's face surprised him, though, and he turned to face the taller man.  Maybe if he just got this over and done with then the jock would stop hassling him every minute of the goddamn day.  'Talk.  You have five minutes.'

  
  
  
'Right.  Cool.  What Chad said was true.'  Jensen tensed.  'But only technically.  My first weekend here, Chad, Tom and I got completely shitfaced for the weekend and Chad suggested we play this game and see how many people we could hook up with.  I agreed, so drunk out of my mind I really didn't think about what I was doing.  Not my finest hour, I’ll admit.  But, by the end of the weekend, I’d racked up the most points.

 

‘But none of the people that I hooked up with thought it was anything but a one- time thing, I didn't hurt anyone's feelings, Jen.  I promise.  We were all just drunk and stupid.  Anyway, Chad's carried on with the game since then, ‘cause he's kind of a douche, and at every party and mixer he goes to, whether I'm there or not, he tries to equal my point score from that weekend.  But, as I said, Chad's pretty much a douche and hardly ever gets laid and that just makes him all the more determined to beat my score.  It was childish and I really regret it, but I haven't played any kind of games since that weekend.  And I would never play _you,_ Jensen, never.'

  
  
  
Jensen looked at the sincere look on Jared's face and thought about what Jared had said.  It sounded too ridiculous to be anything but the truth and Jensen _did_ know that Chad was a bit of an asshole, he like Chris, had established quite reputation for himself since starting at the college so it did sound like something Chad would do. But should he risk it?  After everything, should he trust this man?  Jensen never knew who to trust these days, it was the reason that he didn’t date, but everything inside him was screaming at him to trust Jared. 

  
  
  
'But why last night?'  Jensen had to know, it was the only thing that just didn’t have a place in Jared’s story.

 

'Why what last night?'

  
'Why did you talk to me for the first time ever, last night, when you've ignored me for the whole year we've been here?'

  
Jared smiled a little shyly at that and Jensen didn't think he'd ever seen that smile grace Jared's face and that thought warmed Jensen as Jared spoke, 'I thought you were taken.  _God_ , Jensen, the first time I saw you I just wanted to grab you and kiss you and never stop.'  

 

Jensen felt a blush rise to his cheeks, 'But then Chris came up and put his arm round your shoulder and led you away.  I just figured that he was your boyfriend.   I mean every time I saw you, he was always there, so I thought that I better stay away from you so I didn't accidently-on-purpose kiss you in front of your boyfriend.'  
 

Jensen considered what Jared had said for a moment, that did make sense he supposed; Chris _was_ around him a lot and the man had very little concept of personal space so he could see where Jared was coming from on the boyfriend theory.

  
  
   
'Alright, Jared, I believe you.'  He bit his lip and looked up at Jared and said, 'Just don't play me, okay, please, I couldn't take it, so if this is just about getting in my pants then tell me now and we can leave it at that.'

  
  
  
'No!  God, no Jen, I want everything you wanna give me.'  Jared replied earnestly, grabbing for Jensen’s hand again, but this time Jensen didn’t pull away.  Jared smiled that 100-watt smile that made Jensen freaking melt.  'So…would that be a yes to dinner this Thursday?'

  
  
  
Jensen smiled back at the taller man, 'Yes, Jay.’

 

****

  
  
  
'You have got to be kidding me, Jensen, you can't seriously be considering going out with that jerk?'  Chris looked at Jensen like he'd grown a second head and while Chris' over protectiveness could be endearing at times, now was really _not_ one of those times.

   
  
  
'Not considering, Chris, I've already agreed.'  He took pity on his friend seeing the stunned expression on his face, 'Look, Chris, I haven't hooked up with anyone since I got here, Christ, I haven't even been on a date in almost a year and a half.   I can't keep watching everyone else live their lives while I stay locked in my room just waiting for the other shoe to drop.'

  
  
  
'I'm not saying that's what you should do, Jen.  But do you really think that Jared is the right guy to help you do that?  I just don't think you can trust him.'

  
  
'Well, I'm gonna have to start somewhere and Jared seems like a pretty good guy to me.  It's not like guys are beating down my door to take me out on dates, Chris.'  Jensen smiled a little at his friend, hoping to lighten the conversation.

 

  
  
'Jen, you could have any guy on campus, you're the only one who doesn't see that.'  Chris answered, completely serious, 'I don't want you settling for someone like Jared just because you don’t think you’ve got any other choices out there.'  
 

Jensen couldn't help the bark of laughter at that one, 'I don't think _I'm_ the one settling in this relationship.  Anyway, once he realises that I'm pretty much just a ball of issues just waiting for the right thing to set me off, he'll be out of my life before you can say I told you so.'  It was meant as a joke but since they both knew how true the statement was, it left the air heavy between them. 

  
  
  
'That's bullshit, Jensen.  And if he can't see how great you are then he's even more of an idiot than I thought he was, and really that's saying a lot.'  Jensen smiled at his best friend and threw an arm around his shoulder.  Chris really was one of the best friends he'd ever had, he'd even considered letting Chris know why he was such a freak once or twice.

   
  
  
Jensen wasn't sure how his friend would take it; whether Chris would run as far from Jensen as possible because the crazy bastard was still out there somewhere and could re-enter Jensen's life at any time, even though the cops had told him that that was extremely unlikely, or go on some vigilante crusade to find the son of a bitch out of some misplaced loyalty to Jensen.  Both possibilities chilled him to the bone and so, for now at least, he kept his mouth firmly shut on the subject.

   
  
  
The kernel of guilt that Chris might be in danger, just by being close to him, ate at him at night but he couldn't do this alone, he couldn't survive on his own, not after everything.  He had realised that a long time ago.  

 

Jensen was also positive that actually telling anyone about his past would certainly put them in danger if the guy decided to come back for him and finish what he’d started; no, it was better that Chris was in the dark about that part of his life, if only to keep him safe. 

  
  
  
'Thanks Chris.'  Jensen gave Chris' shoulder a firm squeeze.  Then he got up and walked over to the wardrobe looking over his shoulder with a smirk, 'So what should I wear?'  His only answer he got was a pillow to the face.  
  
  



	4. Chapter Four.

** Chapter Four. **

Jensen was frantically trying to get his second boot on in the bathroom when he heard a knock at the dorm room door and, before he could get there limping in one boot, he heard Chris answer it. 

 

_ Shit _ . 

 

Jamming his foot hard enough into the boot to jar his leg, he took one look in the bathroom mirror before flinging open the door to survey the damage.  
Chris was standing in the door, hands on his hips, glaring up at a smiling Jared.  If the taller man was uncomfortable with Chris' offensive posturing he didn't show it, he just cut his eyes to Jensen and his smile widened.  'Hey Jen, you ready to go?'

  
  
  
'Yeah I'm good.'  Jensen mirrored that infectious smile and walked over to the door, squeezing past his best friend as he went, 'See you later Chris,' he said tightly as his friend refused to move or take his eyes off Jared.

  
  
  
As they walked down the corridor Jared said, 'Wow, your roommate's a little scary, ya know that?'

 

'Nah, Chris is fine, he’s a little over-protective that’s all.'  Jared looked like he wanted to say something more, and his raised eyebrow made Jensen feel uncomfortable, 'So what are we up to tonight then?'

  
  
  
'That, my friend, is a surprise.'  Jared's smile faltered at the uncertain look on Jensen's face, 'That a problem, Jen?  ‘Cause we could...’

 

_ Stop being such a freak _ , Jensen chastised himself.  'No…sorry…uh…just not a huge fan of surprises but I'm sure you can change all that.'  The grin he plastered on his face was so fake that he knew that Jared saw right through it.  The man smiled warmly at him anyway though.

  
'Alright, I'll see what I can do.'

  
****

  
Jensen climbed the steps after Jared, wishing for the other man's long legs or his stamina from years spent on the football pitch, clutching the stitch in his side.  'Jay, how much further?  I’m pretty sure my stitches have stitches?'

 

Jared, the bastard, just chuckled, 'Almost there, princess, just a few more stairs to go.'

  
  
  
Jensen huffed at the princess comment, but was too damn tired to formulate an appropriately snarky response.

  
'Right, we're here, now close your eyes.'  Jensen _really_ didn't want to, but he also didn't want to show Jared how much of a paranoid weirdo he was on their first date.

   
'Alright, but if I even so much as stub my toe, I'll kick your ass.’

 

'Duly noted.'  Jensen felt Jared's large hand take hold of his as he closed his eyes and instead of the usual flinch he got when someone touched him, Jensen felt the warmth radiate from Jared's hand up his body to his chest.  Jensen hadn't felt this safe in a long time and it shocked him when he realised that he already trusted Jared. 

 

  
  
He didn't even know why, _Jesus_ , he'd known the guy for all of two minutes and yet Jensen felt safer than he had since before all this crap had happened.  Jensen felt Jared guiding him and walked obediently wherever the hand led.  'Okay, open your eyes.'

 

Jensen obeyed, opening his eyes, and gasped at what he saw.  In the darkness, under the stars, the view was amazing.  Jensen could see the forest on the outskirts of the campus, the lights of the city in the distance and the beautiful gardens, all painting a stunning picture below them.  'Jesus, Jared, this is beautiful.'

  
  
  
'It really, really is.'  But when Jensen turned his head to look at Jared, Jared wasn't looking at the view, he was looking right at Jensen.  Jensen ducked his head away to escape the scrutiny, only to have Jared catch his chin gently with his thumb and forefinger.  'Can I kiss you Jensen, I've waited a year to have you, please let me?'

  
  
  
Jensen nodded and Jared leaned down and kissed him.  Jensen felt the electricity shoot down his spine and join the warmth in his chest that he felt from Jared's hand.  Jared deepened the kiss, licking so deep into Jensen's mouth that he couldn't help the moan that broke free, only to be swallowed up by Jared's lips. 

 

  
  
When they broke apart, both of them a little breathless, Jensen noticed his arms were wrapped around Jared's neck and Jared's large hands were resting on his hips.  It was so easy, they fit together so perfectly, and Jensen couldn't quite believe this was happening. 

  
  
  
'Well, I think you've managed to change my mind on surprises, and feel free to surprise me whenever you feel the urge.'  Jensen said cheekily to the taller man in front of him, without removing his hands from the man's shoulders.

'I will.  But that's not all of the surprise.'  Jared tilted his head behind him and Jensen looked round the larger body before him and saw a rug and a picnic basket on the floor and a couple of unlit candles in front of it all.

   
  
  
'How on earth did you stop anyone from stealing that, Jay?'

 

'I left a note with 'Property of Jared Padalecki' written on it- pretty sure no one wants to mess with the Starting Quarterback.'  It was true, no one really wanted to get in Jared's face, the man was six and a half feet of pure muscle; it would never be a good idea to piss him off.  Instead of the fear that probably should have made its way down Jensen's spine at that, Jensen felt a thrill of a totally different kind.

   
  
  
They sat down, side by side, on the rug as Jared laid out all the things he had put in the basket; sandwiches, crisps, strawberries, cream, a couple of bags of jelly worms and two bottles of wine.  It wasn't much but, to Jensen, it was perfect, and even more so when Jared threaded their fingers together as they talked through the night and well into the morning.

  
  
  
****

'Where the fuck have you been?'

  
Jensen was assaulted by the loud voice of his roommate as soon as he was over the threshold.  He had just said goodnight to Jared on the other side of the door; a long languid kiss that Jensen could easily have drowned in.  Jensen really didn't want Chris ruining his good mood, especially with the lack of sleep he'd had.  
  
  
  
'With Jared, you _know_ that, Chris, and now I need sleep.'

  
'Jesus, I was fucking worried, it's 5am Jensen.'

  
'Yes it is, Chris, and you're not my mom so back the hell off.'  Jensen was mad now, his good mood had completely evaporated in the face of his angry friend.  Chris had no right to treat him like a child and he didn't appreciate it, especially not at 5am.  

 

That seemed to cow Chris, at least, and the man marched over to his bed and lay down, back turned towards Jensen.  Jensen could see the tension rolling off his friend and sagged.  'Chris, I'm sorry you were worried, okay, I didn't realise it was so late till the sun came up.  You really don't need to worry about me so much.'

 

  
  
'Not gonna stop, dude, just ‘cause you say you're okay; you're my best friend, I'll always have your back.'

  
  
  
'I know Chris and thanks.'

  
  
  
The grunt was enough of an answer for Jensen and he lay back out on his own bed and was asleep in moments.  
  
  



	5. Chapter Five.

 

** Chapter Five. **

 

'Hey Ackles.'  Jensen closed his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice.  Jake.  The man was a friend of Jared's so Jensen really tried to be civil whenever they met, seeing as Chris wasn’t always a bundle of laughs either, but he really didn't like this guy.  Not like Chad, Chad was a douche, but he could sort of see why Jared liked him even if most people couldn't.  Jake, on the other hand, just kind of creeped him out, he couldn't put his finger on why, but the dude just had no concept of personal space and, for Jensen, that was a real turn off when making new friends. 

 

  
  
Maybe Jensen was just being a freak and letting his own hang ups get the best of him; the guy had always friendly enough to him.  'Hey Jake, what can I do for you?'  The smile on Jake's face was not exactly reassuring but the next words out his mouth were.

   
  
  
'Jay sent me by to pick you up, his truck conked out and he said he'd wait for you at the movies.  Get everything ready so you guys didn't miss the previews.'  Jensen smiled, Jared had pretty much bought every type of candy the last time they had gone to the movies.  Jensen thought he was crazy to begin with but Jared had admitted about half way through the movie, that when Jensen had told him a few days ago that he wasn't sure which candy was his favourite, Jared had decided the movies was the place to find out.  Still crazy, yes, but incredibly thoughtful as well and they’d spent the rest of the movie trying the different types of candy rather than actually watching the film.  It had been one of the most romantic things anyone had ever done for him.

  
  
  
'Sure, thanks Jake.'  Jensen jumped into the other side of the man's pick up, maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all if he was willing to give up his time to run Jared’s boyfriend around. 

 

  
  
The silence was a little awkward and Jensen hoped that Jake would break it; he wasn't really that good at that kind of thing.  Thankfully, Jared never shut up so Jensen could just ride the wave on that one.  But once Jake spoke, he kind of wished for the awkward silence again.

  
  
  
'So, you and Jay getting serious then?'  The tone was casual enough but Jensen could hear the tenseness beneath it.  Oh. My. God, was Jake interested in Jared?  That was _so_ not a conversation that Jensen was equipped to handle; shouldn’t Jake be talking to Jared about this?

  
'Uh…Jake I don't really think we should be talking about this; Jay's your friend, I mean it's a bit personal.'  Jensen tried to steer the conversation away from whatever this was and back into less dangerous territory.

  
'Hey, me and Jay, we share everything, you don't need to worry about telling me.'  The guy shot back, totally ignoring Jensen’s blatant brush-off.

 

Jensen very much doubted that Jared shared anything about their relationship with any of his team mates, Jared was kind of possessive.  At least Jensen hoped he hadn't. 

 

'Seriously, how far have you two gone?'

  
Jensen's cheeks flared at that.  He and Jared hadn't gone much passed kissing but he still wasn't comfortable sharing that with Jake.  'As I said, Jake, that's a little too personal for me.'  Jensen thought he saw the muscle in Jake’s jaw lock at that, like the other man wanted to say something further.  Jensen was glad he didn't.  

 

Trying to compete for Jared with one of Jared's best friends would be damn near impossible and Jensen wasn't really ready to give Jared up, not when he'd just found him.

  
  
   
Jensen was drawn out of his musings by the distinct lack of light outside the pick- up truck.  'Um, Jake, this isn't the way to the movies.'  Jake didn't respond and, immediately, Jensen could feel the panic clawing at his throat.  How had he been so stupid?  He hadn't been this careless in all the months he'd been at the university.

 

Jensen had felt safe with one of Jared's friends because _Jared_ was safe, _Jesus_ , the guy was jealous and pissed and Jensen had no idea how far Jake was willing to do to get him out of the way.  'Jake?'  His voice a little shaky.

  
  
  
'You don't even get it do you?'  No, not really.  But talking was good, right?  The cops always talked to the crazy guy on those shows.  

 

'Look, I know you and Jay are close but, um, I'm not sure he sees you that way.'  
  
  
  
A sharp laugh from Jake had Jensen shrinking into the door. 

 

'God, Jensen, I'm not after Jay.'  Jensen frown deepened at that, now he was completely lost. 

  
'I...huh?'

'I've been _trying_ to get your attention for a year, Jensen.  It was fucking hard work, too, you never went to any of the parties, and you always had your damn guard dog around, but I think it was pretty fucking obvious how I felt about you.'  Jensen gaped at the man next to him, and tried to think back to _any_ interactions they'd actually had. 

 

Jake had knocked into him at a couple of parties, groped his ass a few times, but the guy had been so wasted at the time that Jensen hadn’t ever thought anything of it.  Hell, he hadn’t even known the guy was gay until then.  'And then Jay just swoops on in and whisks you away, didn't even have to fucking try.'  Jensen saw where they were going then, right into the woods, about ten miles from campus and way too far away from anyone else, in Jensen's opinion.

   
  
  
Not really knowing what to say to all that information, Jensen tried, 'I'm sorry, Jake, I…uh…I just thought you were drunk,' Jake snorted at that and Jensen wondered if this was all a big joke; Jake didn't really like him and maybe Jared didn't either. Maybe the entire football team was going to jump out of the trees and burst into fits of laughter at his stupidity- the team was well known for their pranks.  

 

To be honest, Jensen wasn't sure what he was hoping for right now, he really liked Jared and trusted him and didn't want it to have all been a lie, but he also didn't like being alone in the woods with Jake either.

 

  
  
'Not drunk at all, Jensen.'  Jake stopped the car and leaned over while Jensen all but plastered himself to the window, 'I meant what I said earlier, about Jay, we share _everything_.'  Jensen got what the guy was saying but he was pretty damn sure that Jared wouldn't want them sharing this.

  
  
  
'I really don't think...' Jensen's word were cut off by Jake's mouth descending on his, hot and demanding, and the other man's hand settling on his crotch.  It took a second for Jensen mind to catch up, then he pushed Jake away and punched him in the jaw.  It hurt but he figured it hurt Jake more which was what he was going for anyway.

  
  
  
'Sonofabitch.'  Jake gasped out and clutched at his chin. 

 

'Take me the fuck back Jake or I'm pretty sure Jared will do way more to you than just punch you in the face.'  Jake's eyes widened at that, not surprisingly, Jared was built like a brick shithouse.

  
‘Jesus, fine, just let me take a piss before we go.'  Jensen saw it for the ruse it was; he could see the tears in the other man's eyes, at the pain, and he knew that Jake didn't want Jensen to see them.  Christ, that was why he had never hung out with the jocks in high school; their macho bullshit was really pathetic.

 

'Whatever, just get back here so I can go on my _actual_ date.'  The words were meant to be cutting and he saw the flicker of hurt in Jake's eyes before the other man turned away and jumped out of the car. 

  
  
  
Five minutes later, Jensen was getting restless.  Jake was being an asshole and he really didn't want Jared to think that he'd skipped out on their date.  Shit, Jake was probably lying and Jared was still waiting for him at the library where they'd agreed to meet.  Jensen rolled his window down and stuck his head out, 'Come the hell on, man, I need to get back, shake it off and let's go.'

 

Silence. 

 

  
  
Jensen craned his head out of the window and looked around the dark forest.  There wasn't a sound, no birds, no animals and definitely no Jake.  The panic he had managed to tamp down from earlier flared up again and he brought his head back into the cab of the truck and rolled up the window with almost manic speed.  Jensen knew he was being stupid, Jake was just pissed at the rejection and was trying to scare him, he didn't know about Jensen's past.  It wasn't Jake’s fault that this kind of thing affected Jensen way more than it would any other normal college guy.  That didn't help calm his panic though.

  
  
  
Jensen grabbed his phone was inputting Chris' number before he even realised that he had no signal. 

 

  
  
Shit. 

 

It had to be the trees; they were pretty far into the woods.  Jensen reached over to the other side of the car and felt the keys dangling from the ignition.  Not wanting to get out of the car, he'd probably have a heart attack if Jake jumped out at him, right then, with all the adrenaline pumping through his system.

   
  
  
So he started to scoot across the seats, it was awkward with the gear shift in the way, but he had almost managed it when a long slow scratch sounded from the side of the car. 

 

Jensen stopped moving.  Completely.  Stopped even breathing. 

 

Then another scrape joined the first, only this one was longer.  Drawn out.  It sounded like nails being scratched along the side of the car.  Jensen was starting to feel light headed from the lack of oxygen and forced himself to take a moment and just breathe.

 

In that same instant, a dull thud hit the roof and Jensen gasped and threw himself back into his seat, ducking to get away from the clanking noise above him.

 

'Stop it, stop it, Jake, this isn't funny.'  Jensen called out.  This was one sick joke, he knew this urban legend and there was no fucking way he was opening the door to see what Jake had planned for him. 

 

Then the scratching started on the roof.  Just like the story.  He knew that Jake was doing it, he _had_ to be.  God only knew how he got up onto the roof without Jensen noticing but the guy was a football player so he was certainly agile enough and he was a master prankster so Jensen was pretty sure that the guy could easily have found a way. 

  
  
  
Only, when Jensen looked out of the car windscreen, a man in black stood in front of him.  If…if Jake was _there_ , then who the fuck was on the roof?  But when he looked harder he saw that the man in front of him wasn't Jake, he was broader and more muscular.  Oh. My. God.  

 

The scratching had stopped.  Did that mean, was Jake…Jensen leapt from the car, he couldn't leave Jake up there if he was still alive.  The sight that greeted him had him nearly vomiting over the leaf covered floor.  Jake's eyes bulged out of his head and his neck was held at a strange angle, it had obviously snapped under the weight of his body. 

 

Jensen made a move to climb up onto the roof of the car and at least cut the boy down, _Christ_ , he looked so fucking young.  What the hell was happening?! 

 

But then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and saw the man in black approaching; the knife in his hand gleaming with promises of blood and pain in the moonlight.  Jensen stood staring, for a moment, till Jake's body suddenly fell from the tree and landed on the roof of the car with a bang.  

 

Jensen ran to the other side of the car, he could hear the other man following.  Just walking, like he knew Jensen was caught, and that he wasn't getting out of there alive. 

  
  
  
Jensen knew better.  He'd survived this shit before.  He wasn't dying here. Not today.  He wasn't leaving Jared and Chris.  He threw open his door and turned over the ignition.  

 

  
  
Fuck.  The thing wouldn't fucking start.  God, Jared had been telling him only last week that Jake's truck was a piece of shit.  Jensen turned the key again, the man was at the bonnet now.

 

Nothing. 

 

The man's hand was on the door handle to the other side of the car. 

 

He turned over the engine. 

 

It roared to life just as the man pulled open the door.  Jensen slammed the car into reverse and sped backwards praying that no trees got in the way.  The man was pulled away from the car, by the unexpected speed, and Jensen saw him roll onto the ground.  Jensen gasped as he just got up with such ease that it sent chills down his spine.

   
  
  
Jensen spun the car round, leaving the door hanging open, and shot out of the forest leaving Jake and the man in black behind him.

 

  
  
****

  
Jensen sped back to the library, back to Jared, back to safety.  Why was this happening?  Was this connected to his past or some freak thing that Jensen just happened to have gotten caught up in?  Jensen's luck always had been shit, so it was possible.  Right? 

  
  
  
The ride back wasn't far but, to Jensen, it took forever.  As soon as he saw Jared's truck parked outside the library, he stopped the car and flung himself out of the door.

  
  
'Hey Jen, you're.....'  The smile fell off Jared's face as Jensen ran over and threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly, reassuring himself that they were both there and alright.  'What's going on Jensen?  Jesus, you're shaking.'

  
  
  
'Jake...in the woods...oh god, Jared...I don't...his neck.'  Jensen knew that he wasn't making any sense and the confused look on Jared's face only confirmed it. 

  
  
  
'Jake?  Jake's at the airport; he's on his way to his parents to ski for the week?'

'But…that…that’s not possible, I _just_ left him in the woods.'  The words bit into Jensen's conscience, he'd left Jake's body to that madman not knowing what the psycho would do with it. 

  
  
  
'What were you doing in the woods with Jake, Jensen?'  Jared had disengaged himself from Jensen's at that, narrowing his eyes.

 

Great.  'Um, Jake told me that your truck had broken down and that you’d asked him to give me a lift to the movies.'  Jared eyes widened at that.  'And then, he, uh, hekissedmeandIpunchedhim.'  It came out in a rush, not knowing how Jared would react.  Would he be angry at his friend?  At Jensen?  Did he think Jensen had led Jake on?  Oh God, would he even believe Jensen?

 

'That _asshole_. I fucking _knew_ he wanted you, he always denied it but he was always looking at you.'  Jared did seem pissed but not at Jensen, so Jensen let out the breath he'd been holding.  'I'm sorry about that, Jen, I'll kick his ass when he gets home.'  That caused Jensen's stomach to twist unpleasantly and the picture of Jake's body, hanging from the branch, flashed before his eyes. 

  
  
  
'That's not what I was trying to tell you, Jay.'   That earned Jensen a raised eyebrow, 'Of course I would have told you, but we...we were attacked in the woods, I think, I think Jake's...dead.'

  
  
  
'What on earth are you talking about Jensen?'  And there was that look, the look that all his friends had given him before it had gotten really bad back home, before Matt had been killed and his family…Before anyone had any reason to take him seriously and not just think he was crazy.  He didn’t like Jared looking at him like that.

  
  
  
'Jake got out to take a piss after I'd punched him.  And then he just didn't come back.  I waited, like, five minutes before telling him to shake a leg but when I looked outside then was nothing.  N…nothing, Jay.  He wasn't anywhere near the pick-up and he didn't say anything when I called.  I…I didn't really like it, I'm not good with stuff like that and so I went to start the car and leave when something scratched down the side of the car. 

 

‘I…kind of froze and then it happened again.  Then something fell onto the roof and started scrapping...’  He bit his lip to keep himself from shaking as he thought of that awful sound.

  
'Jensen, this really isn't funny, it's kind of sick actually, that's one of my best friends you're talking about.'  Jared's face was stony, an expression that Jensen had never seen the other man wear before.  He wasn't going to stop though, he was telling the truth damnit.

 

'I fucking know that, and I'm _not_ kidding.  Anyway, I was about to get out and tell Jake to get the fuck off the roof and stop trying to creep me out when I saw this guy in black standing in front of the truck.  And it…it wasn't Jake.'  Jensen held the tears back; he wasn't going to cry, not in front of Jared, not when Jared was looking at him like he was mad.  

 

‘The scrapping had stopped by then and I jumped out of the car to look and Jake...his…his neck it was all wrong and his eyes...I panicked and jumped back in the car.  The…Jake fell from the tree and the guy was coming at me with a knife.  I just put the pick-up in reverse and drove back here as fast as I could.'  Jensen sagged at the end of the story, feeling sick and exhausted, and wanting nothing more than for Jared to wrap his arms around him again. 

   
  
  
He didn't expect Jared to laugh at him and the sound sliced through him in ways he couldn't even describe.  'Oh Jen, he totally got you there.  That dude was probably Chad and Jake is laughing all the way to Austria.’

  
  
  
'No, Jay it was _real_ , I swear, I saw it.'  The tears that he’d been so adamant not to shed were welling up again, in frustration and confusion.  Jared pulled out his phone, pressed a couple of buttons and showed Jensen the screen.

  
  
  
_'Jayman, just got to the airport, board in an hour, and then it's snow and chalet girls all the way.  See you when I get back.  Give Chad a kiss from me, jerk.  Jake.'_

  
  
  
That wasn't possible.  

 

But Jensen took the phone and saw that it was from Jake's phone and it sounded an awful lot like Jake.

   
  
  
'I'm sorry, Jen, he was probably just pissed that you'd ignored him all these months and had Chad set you up.  He's fine, you're fine, it was all just a prank.’

 

Was it?  Was it a prank and Jensen's fucked up past was making him see ghosts where there were none?  Maybe.  _Probably_.  The likelihood that there was a killer on campus was extremely low and for them to target him and Jake in the middle of nowhere was even more so.  But still, he'd seen the look in Jake's eyes.  He bit his lip and looked up at Jared but looked away again at the sight of his laughing eyes.  It really wasn't funny, even if it was a prank, and Jared shouldn't freaking be laughing at his expense.

 

Jared seemed to pick up on Jensen's distress and put an arm around him.  Despite his earlier wishes, Jensen realised that he really wasn't ready to be touched just yet and pulled away.  'I really am sorry, Jensen, I'll kick his ass doubly hard when I see him, okay?'

 

'Okay.'  It wasn’t though.  But, Jared wasn't going to believe him anyway and he certainly wasn't going to take him out to the woods to check, after Jared had already looked at him like he was crazy.  The guy would think he was certifiable if he even suggested it.  He needed someone else; someone he knew always had his back, no matter what. 

 

Jensen needed Chris, Chris would come with him, even if there wasn't anything to see and if it was a prank Chris wouldn't find it funny the way Jared had.  'I'm just gonna go back to my room, I'm beat.'  He pulled away from the quarterback.

  
'But what about our date?'  Jensen looked at him, incredulous. 

 

  
  
'You're kidding, right?  I thought I was going to get gutted not half an hour ago; funnily enough, I'm not really up for making out at the movies.'  It came out more biting than Jensen had meant it to, but he was scared and tired, and was really starting to wonder what was real and what was just his fucked up mind.  He hadn't felt this off balance since the first weeks at the college, and he didn't like it.

   
  
  
'Oh, I'm sure _Chris_ will make you feel all better.'  The sneer in Jared's tone took Jensen by surprise.  What the hell did Jared have to be angry about?

  
  
  
'What do you mean by that?'  Jensen asked, his tone tight.

  
'Chris, your keeper, always ready to ride in as your white fucking knight.'  That made Jensen mad because if Jared had been any kind of boyfriend he would have been furious at his friend for kissing Jensen.  And at the cruel prank Jake had played on him, instead of simply laughing at Jensen.  It made him question Jared and their entire relationship.

 

  
  
'Well it might be nice for someone to.'  That got a sheepish look from Jared and Jensen felt a stab of satisfaction at that.  'I was fucking terrified, Jared, I don't...I don't like things like that, it's not funny to me.'  Oh god, he was going to cry.  'Night Jared, don't call me for a couple of days, okay, I need to think some things through.' 

 

Jensen turned away and walked back to his dorm ignoring Jared's calls.

  
  
****

As soon as Jensen opened the door, Chris was there asking if he was okay.

 

Jensen knew that he was pale and still had tear tracks down his face from when he'd walked away from Jared. 

  
  
  
'I don't...Chris...I think I'm going crazy.'  On his way back, Jensen had been trying to put it all together in his mind.  The whole thing was ludicrous, that Jensen would be targeted by two _different_ pyschos in one lifetime.  It could have been the same guy but Jensen hadn’t heard anything or gotten any letters since he’d left.  He'd changed his name and moved half way across the country, it would have been damn near impossible for the guy to follow him, right?  

 

  
  
So that left the uncomfortable idea that Jensen had just been seeing shadows when there was nothing but a couple of college boys and a harmless prank or…or maybe even nothing at all...had the whole evening even happened the way he thought it had or had Jensen's fucked up pysche just made it all up?

 

Jared probably thought he was an attention seeker at best, he'd been called that before, and a psycho at worst.

   
  
  
'Of course you're not crazy, Jen, what’s this all about?'  Chris sat him down on the bed, nothing but concern written on his face.

  
  
  
Jensen relayed everything that had happened, the hand gripping his own tightened as he described Jared's callous reaction to the news.  

 

As the tears filled his eyes, again, Chris just pulled him into a much needed hug and held him tightly, as Jensen buried his face in the shorter man's neck, seeking the comfort that he had wanted so desperately from his boyfriend earlier.

  
  
  
'That bastard.'  Chris pulled away to look Jensen in the eye.  'What do you wanna do Jen?'

  
  
  
Jensen didn't really know.  He wanted to go back and check the woods, check for the body, but he didn't want Chris looking at him like Jared had for suggesting it.  Even worse, if they went, he wasn't sure what he'd do if they found a body....or if they didn’t.

  
'Do you wanna check out the woods?  I'll come with you if you do.'  Jensen smiled weakly at his friend; Chris always had had an uncanny ability to know what Jensen was thinking.

  
'Yeah, I think…yeah.  I'm _sure_ it was a prank, Chris, but...but I just have to know.'  Chris merely nodded and grabbed his car keys.

   
  
  
'I'm sure it was just a fucking disgusting joke, too, and that boy is gonna be drinking out of a straw for the rest of the year when I’m through with him, but I know it'll make you feel better just to be sure.   Come on, I'll drive.'  That made Jensen think of Jake's truck and how he had just left it in the middle of the road, he hoped Jared had taken care of it.   It did support the idea that the black clothed man was a friend of Jake's, though, and that he took him to the airport while Jensen sped off with the man's pick up. 

 

  
  
They arrived at the woods two hours after Jensen had left it.  It was a little difficult to find the spot but when Jensen was sure he'd found it, he jumped out and started looking around.  There was no evidence that they'd even been there that evening, let alone Jake's body or the rope.  There were no tyre tracks that Jensen was sure that he must have made when he high-tailed it out of there. 

 

  
  
The possibility that Jake had never taken him into the woods at all, but had merely lent Jensen his truck before going to the airport, was rearing its ugly head.  Jensen had had problems before, after Matt’s death, seeing things that weren't there; nothing this extreme but…

  
  
  
'Jen, buddy, there's nothing here, I think Jake really did plan this as a joke and took off.'  Jensen should have been relieved that Jake was clearly okay and the only casualty here was his pride and perhaps his relationship with Jared but he still felt uneasy.  

 

No matter how much his mind told him that maybe none of the evening had happened or that it was all just some elaborate prank, he couldn't forget the look in Jake's eyes nor the glint of that knife; sharp and deadly.

  
'You're right, Chris, let's just get back.'  Chris squeezed his arm in comfort and took him back to their room.  
  
  



	6. Chapter Six.

 

** Chapter Six. **

  
  
Jensen missed his classes for the next two days; he was feeling off balance and didn't think he could handle being around all those people.  Chris was great, he made sure Jensen ate, slept as much as he could when he wasn’t waking up in a cold sweat, and got him any assignments he missed. 

  
  
  
On his third day of almost total isolation from the entire world outside room three on the second floor of Winchester, there was a knock at the door that sent a chill down Jensen's spine.  He knew that he was reverting back to that scared student he'd been during those first few months but he didn't really know how to stop it. 

 

  
  
Jensen cautiously opened the door and saw Jared standing there.  He looked awful; he had dark bags under his eyes, pale skin and lanky greasy hair.

 

'Jay, what's the matter?'   His concern for the taller man overrode any anger he felt towards him; he still cared about Jared even after what had transpired the other night and if something bad had happened, like it looked like it had, he would be there for him.  Jensen stepped forward and placed a hand against the man's cheek feeling the beginnings of a beard growing.

   
  
  
'I'm really sorry Jensen.  I was completely out of line the other night.  I shouldn't have laughed but growing up with Chad and hanging out with Jake and the other guys- it’s just the kind of thing they do.  I know you're not used to it and it was in pretty poor taste and I should have been making sure you were okay.  I'm so sorry.'

 

The words were out in a rush and the poor guy looked so wretched that Jensen felt he had to invite him into the room.  He couldn’t just leave him out on the doorstep after that.

  
  
  
'It's alright, Jared.'  Jensen said quietly, even though it really wasn't.  But he didn't blame Jared for that, not really, he blamed the psychopath from four years ago for that.  'I…I overreacted and I'm sure anyone else would have found it funny but I…there's some stuff that happened to me that makes me not good with that.'  He wasn't telling Jared about his past, not yet.  Jared had already glimpsed his crazy side, he wasn't about to start shove it all out into the light just yet, not when their relationship was still so new. 

  
  
  
'I'm still really sorry and I'm hoping I haven't been too much of an idiot to get a second chance with you?'  God, how could Jensen ever say no to those pleading eyes?

   
  
  
'Technically, Padalecki, I think this would be your third chance, given the disaster that was that Omega Delta Pi frat party.'   Jensen fought to keep the smirk off his face at Jared's stricken look, wanting to laugh; as if _Jensen_ wasn't the lucky one in their relationship.  'But...seeing as that was pretty much Chad's fault and this was Jake's, I suppose,' he let out a fake, and overdone, long-suffering sigh.  'I could give you one more chance.' 

 

  
  
He let himself smile then, really smile for the first time in days, letting the other man know that he was kidding.  

  
 

Jared moved quicker than Jensen even registered and lifted Jensen up and kissed him firmly on the mouth.  'Thank God I still get to do that.  I promise, Jen, no more fuck ups, new friends, I definitely need new friends.'  Jensen laughed at the other man's enthusiasm and half-heartedly patted Jared's muscled chest to put him down. Maybe... _maybe_ he slipped in a little grope there too.  Hey, it had been two days and the guy was built okay?  'Right, I think I need to take you out for a disgustingly expensive dinner to make up for my bastard-ness.'

 

'You really don't need to, Jay, I was only kidding.'  Jensen said, suddenly a little self-conscious when, in truth, Jensen knew that he was lucky Jared had _ever_ even looked at him let alone asking for a second or in this case, a third chance with him.

 

'No, you were right,’  Jared continued.  ‘I have a lot to make up for.  So…KFC here we come.'  Jared dead panned. 

 

  
  
Jensen threw his head back and laughed, ‘Idiot.’  Slapping Jared lightly on the chest, yeah, he was damn lucky.

 

  
  
****

 

  
  
Dinner, thankfully, was not KFC - not that Jensen had any problems with that but he kind of felt a dinner date shouldn't really consist of food eaten out of a bucket - but a nice little Italian restaurant about ten minutes away from the campus.

 

They had wine instead of beer, starters as well as dessert, and it was sort of perfect.  And Jared was sort of perfect too; the more Jensen learned about the guy the more he wanted to know.  Even so, that left Jensen with doubts, how could someone like Jared ever want someone like him?  But Jensen kept those thoughts to himself, allowing himself to enjoy Jared now for as long as the other man would have him.

   
  
  
Chris was out at a concert that night and he was staying at Steve's so Jensen decided to invite Jared back for a couple of beers.  A couple of beers turned into a pretty heavy make out session on Jensen's bed and Jared had his hands firmly on Jensen's ass when the door flew open and Chris walked in.

  
  
   
Jensen was so startled that he kicked Jared off the bed and onto the floor.  
'Jesus, Jay, are you alright?'

  
  
  
'Oh, for fuck's sake, Jen, _that_ was something I really didn't wanna see.'  Chris said, at the same time, shielding his eyes. 

  
  
  
Jensen reached down and pulled Jared to his feet, the other man looked a little dazed and a lot pissed off but otherwise alright.  'What the hell are you doing here Chris?  You said you were staying at Steve's tonight?'

 

'What?  I texted you earlier to tell you that the gig was cancelled and that I was coming home after all.'  Jensen felt Jared bristle at the way Chris used the word home in relation to their dorm room but ignored it; he could understand why Jared was pissed.  'Anyway, I thought this loser was firmly out of the picture after his charming behaviour the other night?'

  
  
  
Jensen pulled out his phone in lieu of answering that minefield of a question, 'Well, one- I didn't get your text and two- we worked it out.'

  
  
  
'You worked it out?'  Chris' eyebrows reached his hairline in shock.

   
  
  
'Yeah, we worked it out, Christian.'  The disdain dripped off Jared's words as he looked down at the shorter man, an arm wound possessively around Jensen's waist.

 

Chris' eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.  'Well if you guys can just finish whatever the fuck you're doing, I can go to bed.'  Chris made a crude hand gesture and flopped onto his bed.

   
  
  
Jensen grabbed Jared’s hand and pulled him out of the room and closed the door on his roommate.  'I'm really sorry, Jay, raincheck?'

  
  
  
Jared was looking at the door with a frown on his face, Jensen hated that expression, it really didn't suit Jared at all.  'Does that guy have a tracker device on you or something?'

  
  
  
Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes.  'Nah, Chris really doesn't want to know what the two of us were gonna do in that dorm room so if he knew we were in there there's no way he would have come back, believe me.  The guy's as straight as an arrow; I honestly think gay sex scares him.'  He grinned at Jared before his eyes widened as he realised what he’d just said and he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, thankful that Jared wasn’t looking at him right then.  

 

Heavy making out was a long way away from actual sex and since Jensen hadn’t done that since, well ever really, he was totally not ready for that yet. 

  
  
  
'Hmph.'  Jared shook his head and the frown receded, as he turned back to face Jensen, leaving a smile that looked much more at home on the handsome man's face.  'We'll go to my place next time, Chad would just shout something like 'remember the lube' and chuck a condom at us then leave.  It’s pretty much the only advantage to having a douche for a roommate.'  He shrugged as if that was just something he had learnt to live with.

   
  
  
'Okay, next time.'  Jensen kissed Jared again, deeper this time then pulled away.  Jared groaned as Jensen pulled away, and Jensen chuckled at the idea of sending Jared home with a hard on the size of Texas.  He pushed Jared away and the look of heat, tempered with barely concealed frustration, he saw in Jared’s eyes was almost worth it.  Almost.   
  
  



	7. Chapter Seven.

 

** Chapter Seven. **

  

  
‘Why are we even here again?’  Chris groaned as he pulled his jacket tighter around himself against the rain and the cold.

 

‘Because Jensen’s insanely hot and buff boyfriend is out there training.’  Danneel answered, as though it was obvious why they were all sitting there freezing their asses off. 

 

  
‘Yeah, I repeat; why are _we_ here?’  Chris indicated all the guys in the group.

 

Jensen wrapped one arm around his friend’s shoulder, ‘You’re providing moral support and letting me know that you accept Jared as my boyfriend.’  Chris just grunted; Jensen knew that the man wasn’t overly happy about Jensen dating the jock but at least he’d stopped glaring at Jared every time he saw him, mostly.  ‘Plus, I’m pretty sure Misha can appreciate the view, right Meesh?’

 

  
Misha just shrugged, ‘Hot is hot.’  

 

Jensen grinned and returned his eyes to the field as he watched his boyfriend charge up and down the pitch; he’d never been all that interested in football until he’d met Jared Padalecki but he was starting to see the merits of the game, namely the ones Danneel had named.  He blushed when Jared scored and waved up to Jensen in the stands.

 

‘Christ, I don’t know who I’m more jealous of,’ Katie grumbled, looking between them.  Jensen snorted, he was pretty sure the entire female, and some of the male, student body envied him at that moment.  

 

The game continued, and they gradually got wetter and colder until finally Beaver blew his whistle and told the football players to get their asses into the changing rooms.  Jensen ignored Chris’ muttered, ‘ _Thank God!’_ and jumped down the bleachers to meet Jared on the pitch.  They usually went up after his games so he’d wait for Jared outside the changing rooms till he was ready to go.   Jared pulled his helmet off and kissed Jensen hard on the lips; the adrenaline really amped up Jared’s sex drive and Jensen had found another reason for suddenly liking football, a whole lot.  

 

  
‘You were great.’  Jensen breathed against the taller man’s lips as he pulled back.  

 

‘Thanks.  Must be my lucky charm, I always play better when you’re around.’  He whispered in Jensen’s ear, ‘And even before we were dating, I used to see you up there, course I didn’t know then that you came for me, but I know I played all the better ‘cause you were there.’  He pulled back and grinned, running his thumb over the blush on Jensen’s cheek.  Jensen hadn’t realised that Jared had noticed him at the games before.

 

‘Um…I’ll let you get showered and wait for you here, okay?’  Jensen said, shifting a little from one foot to another; he still always kind of expected Jared to say no whenever Jensen suggested they spend time together.

 

  
Jared looked at him then, narrowing his eyes like he was thinking, and then shook his head.  Jensen’s stomach plummeted, was this the moment?  Was it all over?  ‘Nope, can’t do it, I’m afraid.’

 

‘Oh.’  Jensen tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, ‘I’ll just…HEY!’

 

  
Jensen was lifted up over Jared’s shoulder before he even realised what was happening, ‘ _What_?  What are you _doing_ , Jared?’

 

‘Can’t wait I’m afraid, we’re going back to my room right now so I can thoroughly take advantage of you and your obvious lack of resistance to my manly charms.’  Jared replied, his voice showing no strain at all at keeping Jensen’s weight over his broad shoulder. 

 

Jensen squirmed, his face bright red at the thought of what he must look like.  He tried to tamp down how hot it was that Jared was able to manhandle him so easily and attempted to keep the annoyance in his voice when he answered, ‘Jared, put me down, you can’t just…’   He squirmed again, trying to keep his hardening cock away from his boyfriend’s body, that would be a little difficult to explain since he was trying to project annoyance and not arousal. 

 

  
A hard slap on his ass stopped him instantly.  ‘Better.’  Jared said, turning on his heel, heading back in the direction of his dorm room.  

 

  
‘That’s it, there is _no_ way that I’m coming to that jerk’s practice again, _ever_ again, no matter how much Jensen tries to bribe me.’  Jensen heard Chris’ tight, horrified voice. 

 

‘There’s no way that I’m _missing_ a practice, _ever_ again, if this is how it ends every time.’  Danneel retorted, her voice high and breathy. 

 

  
‘Lucky bastards.’  Katie muttered under her breath. 

 

  
Jensen was just happy when Jared neared the edge of the football field, carrying him towards Jared’s truck.  And if Jensen cock was hard against his boyfriend’s solid body, well, that was no one’s business but his own.  

 

****

 

‘So, did you enjoy the game?’  Jared asked as he opened the door to his dorm. 

 

  
‘Would have enjoyed it better had I not been manhandled off the field afterwards.’  Jensen grumbled back as he followed Jared into the room.  He gasped as he felt his back hit the wooden door, Jared right in front of him, staring intensely into his eyes, the barest hint of a smile gracing his lips. 

 

  
‘Really, baby?  Didn’t _feel_ like you were all that upset about it when you were over my shoulder.’  He ground his hips against Jensen’s to  emphasise his point, at least Jensen’s hard on had pretty much gone during the ride in the truck.  Jensen still blushed, though, at the thought that Jared had felt him hard against his body, despite Jensen’s best efforts to keep him in the dark to that embarrassing little fact.

 

  
‘I…um…no…’  Jensen stammered back, his brain short circuiting as Jared leaned in to nip at his neck. 

 

‘Yeah?  It kind of felt to me like you were _real_ happy about it.’  He ground his hips hard into Jensen’s again, shocking a moan out of Jensen as he felt his own cock hardening again from the friction.  Jared leaned in and licked around the shell of his ear before whispering, ‘Wanna know what I think?’  Jensen wasn’t really sure about the answer to that so he settled for letting his head fall back, with a thunk, against the door, ‘I think you liked it, I think you liked the fact that I could do anything I wanted to you right then.’  He kissed down Jensen’s neck, ‘And I think you liked the fact that everyone on that field now knows that you’re mine.’  He bit down hard on Jensen’s neck and Jensen came in his shorts; unsure as to whether it was the bite or the claim of ownership that had sent him over the edge.  

 

  
When Jensen came back to himself, he realised that Jared was pretty much holding him up against the door since his legs seemed to have given up on their job of supporting his weight.  He flushed bright red at the wet feeling in his shorts; did he really just come from a few dirty words and a little grinding? 

 

  
_ God,  _ how humiliating.  He ducked his head away, hoping to hide his blush from his boyfriend.

 

Jared nudged his cheek with his nose, ‘Hey, don’t be embarrassed, that was all kinds of hot, Jen, believe me.’  He brought Jensen’s hand down briefly to the front of his shorts and Jensen found an answering wet patch on the front.  ‘That’s what you do to me, Jen, never felt anything like it.’  Jared kissed Jensen again, chastely on the lips, before backing away slightly to let Jensen move away from the door.  Confident that his legs wouldn’t give out once he moved away from the solid support of the door, Jensen followed Jared over to his bed. 

 

They lay down, and Jared sat against the headboard with Jensen between his legs, his broad chest pressed to Jensen’s back.  Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen and kissed him on the top of the head.  Even though it was barely nine o’clock, Jensen couldn’t help his eyes drifting closed pulling him into sleep, warm and safe in Jared’s tight embrace.  
  
  



	8. Chapter Eight.

** Chapter Eight. **

 

Jensen stumbled back to his dorm room.  It was a little after two in the morning; he and Jared had been out at a Jazz bar and had totally lost track of time.  Jensen opened the door and was about to turn the lights on in the almost pitch black room when he heard a grunt and a whimper from the other side of the room.  _Jesus_ _Christ_!  And Chris had the audacity to gripe about him and Jared when he'd clearly brought back some bimbo to fuck in their dorm room _knowing_ that Jensen was coming back tonight. 

 

The asshole should have just told him to stay at Jared's.  It shouldn't surprise him though, Chris had pulled this shit before but it did piss him off and he certainly didn't have the energy to walk all the way over to the other side of campus to Jared's room.

  
Jensen closed his eyes so as to not scar his corneas by seeing Chris' naked ass (again!) and said overly loudly, 'Don't worry guys, I’m just gonna put my I-pod on and you can ...go back to doing...whatever it is you're doing, okay.'  Another louder grunt and Jensen took that as agreement as he crawled into bed, feeling his way in the dark.  He grabbed his I-pod and put the earphones in his ears and turned the volume up to the highest setting.  

 

Normally he wouldn't have been able to sleep with music pounding that loudly in his ears but he was so exhausted, and he had a class at nine, that he was asleep before the first song was over.

 

****

 

Jensen’s playlist had finished sometime in the night so he heard his phone alarm loud and clear when it went off at eight the next morning.  Rubbing his eyes, he got up and stumbled towards the bathroom, used the toilet and went to make his way back to his side of the room.

  
'Shit!'  Jensen's foot slipped on something wet on the floor and he went down on his hands and knees, using his hands to catch himself, just in time, to stop his face smashing into the floor.  He looked down and saw that his hands were covered in red paint.  Jensen's sleep-hazy brain tried to connect the paint to his room but failed.

 

He looked down at his body; he was covered, his boxers and shirt were saturated with the stuff.  Only it really didn't feel like paint.

 

It looked like…

  
Jensen breathing picked up as his mind slowly started to wake up as he looked at the red covering and dripping from his hands.  Oh. My. God!  Please no.  _Please_.  Jensen's head snapped up and what he saw had him tumbling back onto the floor, onto his ass, this time.

  
** 'AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU DIDN'T TURN THE LIGHT ON?' **

 

Was written across the white wall of his dorm room, above Chris's bed, in red.  From his spot, on the floor, he could see Chris in his bed but there… there was red everywhere.  Forcing himself to stand, Jensen walked over to his best friend's bed and took in the body lying on its side, curled in on itself, hidden under the bed covers.  Steeling his resolve, Jensen reached out a shaking hand and shook his friend's shoulder.  

 

‘Chris, buddy, it's time to wake up, we've got class in half an hour and there's no way I can carry your heavy ass all the way to the psych building.'  The joke fell flat amidst the gory scene around him.  He shook harder the lump in the bed harder, feeling the tears choking him.

   
  
  
'Come on, Chris, come on, _please_ , not you…don't...not _you_.’  Jensen pulled hard enough that the body rolled over and the bed sheets fell away and Jensen saw blue eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling.  OH GOD!  Jensen vomited at the side of the bed. 

 

Once he had gotten his breathing and body back under control Jensen looked back at his friend.   It wasn't Chris.  It was Steve.  And Jensen would feel terrible till the end of his days for the slight relief that rang through him that those blue eyes didn't belong to his best friend.

 

The tears were coming hard and fast now as Jensen rang campus security, taking in the slit wrists and bruise circling his friend's neck.

   
  
  
'Campus Security, how can we help?'

 

'Um…hello,' Jensen croaked, 'This is Jensen. Jensen Ackles from Winchester, room three.  There's been an accident, there's…a…a body...in...my room... it's Steve Carlson...he's...he's hurt.'  He couldn't say it, not another person Jensen cared about, not again.

  
  
  
'Alright, Mr Ackles, stay calm, security is on its way now, stay where you are and try not to touch your friend, he may be in need of medical attention that you can’t provide.'  It wasn't true, Steve was well past any kind of help but he nodded anyway.

   
  
  
'Okay, I'll be here.'  Jensen turned to his side of the room and saw something on his pillow.   Nonono, not again.  The envelope looked the same, the writing on the front _looked_ the same.  Jensen opened it and dropped the paper onto the floor by his bed. 

 

** ‘SURPRISE.' **

Jensen moved back and sat on his bed, not noticing the red seeping from his clothes into the clean white sheets underneath him.  Jensen picked up his cell and typed in another number.

   
  
  
'Well, good morning, sexy, to what do I owe the pleasure this early in the morning?'

  
'Jay?'  His voice broke over the phone.

  
'Jensen, what's wrong?  What happened?'  The teasing tone was gone in an instant.  
 

'You need to come, please, I need you.'  Jensen pleaded over the phone, his voice barely above a whisper.  Even if Jared decided that Jensen was too much trouble after this, he still needed Jared now, otherwise he was afraid that he’d just fall apart in the dorm room and nothing and no one would ever be able to put him back together again.

  
'Right, I’m on my way.'  Jensen could hear the rumple and jangle of Jared grabbing his jacket and keys down the phone.  'You in your room?'  
 

'Yes.  Hurry.'  Jensen curled up on his bed and waited for Jared to come and find him.

  
  
   
'HOLY FUCK!'  Jensen fell off the bed at the yell, hitting the floor hard.

   
  
  
'Jensen what the fuck? What the hell...oh my God, Steve?'  It was only Chris, but Jensen was still shaking from the shock.  Maybe he'd been shaking since he'd first fallen, he didn't know.  Jensen felt arms wrap around him in a steel grip.

   
  
  
'Jensen, are you alright?'  Jensen nodded then shook his head.  He really wasn't, nothing was alright, this was all his fault, he knew it was.

 

'Oh my God, Jensen, that's…Steve.'  Jensen felt the tears soak into his T-shirt where Chris' head rested on his shoulder.  Chris never cried, never.  But Jensen really couldn't blame him; he and Steve were really close. 

 

Jensen gripped Chris all the harder, thankful that his friend was still alive and breathing, he didn't know what he would have done had it been Chris in that bed.

   
There was a knock on the door and an accompanying deep voice called, ‘Mr Ackles, Campus Security.'

  
Chris released him and moved to his side, still close enough for Jensen to feel his body heat.  He was grateful; it helped reassure his shattering mind that Chris was still there.

 

'It's open.'  He called back.  Two security guards in uniform entered the room.  The younger gasped and his face went white so fast that Jensen thought he might pass out.  The other one had his radio out as soon as he saw the blood and was clearly calling in the police to deal with the body and cancelling any emergency medical assistance they’d arranged.  ‘Mr Ackles?'

  
  
  
Jensen nodded and stepped forward.  'I'm Jensen Ackles.  This is my roommate Christian Kane.'

  
  
  
'And the man on the bed?'

  
'That's... Steve Carlson, he's a friend of ours.  I didn't even realise it was him till I saw the body this morning.'

  
'Wait a second, you were here last night?'  The officer asked in disbelief.

  
Jensen coloured, this really wasn't going to sound good for him.  For all he could prove, he was the only one in the room with Steve last night, even though he had heard and felt a third person there.  'Yeah, I came back about two and I heard noises from the other bed.'  He looked down and blushed and then felt like an idiot considering what had really being going on in that bed.  'I thought it was Chris with a girl, and I didn't want to interrupt so I just, _oh God_ , I just left the lights off and put on my I-pod so I didn’t have to hear it.' 

  
  
  
Christ, not only was it his fault for bringing his shit on his friends, if only he'd turned on the goddamned light.  What must Steve have been thinking when he said he was just gonna leave them to it?  Those whimpers, he was _begging_ Jensen to help him but Jensen was too much of a stupid bastard to realise it.

   
  
  
The security offer was writing down everything Jensen had said, probably with a note next to it saying ‘ _guilty as hell’,_ whilst the other one was fingering his tazer.   He was going be arrested and he knew it.  Shit. 

  
  
  
'What this?'  Jensen turned back to Chris who was holding up the note.

  
  
  
'I found that on my pillow.'  Jensen said evasively.

 

  
  
'What the hell does it mean, Jensen?'

  
Jensen opened his mouth to answer when six foot five inches of Jared Padalecki burst through the door.   It would have been funny had the scene not been so tragic.   Jared went from sixty to zero the instant he saw the blood, on the walls, on the bed, on Steve and all over Jensen.

  
  
  
Then he shook his head and marched over to Jensen, pulling him into a tight hug.  Jensen relaxed instantly into the embrace, allowing some of the tension that was keeping his muscles corded to bleed out of his body.

  
'Jensen what happened?  Is that Steve?'  Jared didn't know Steve all that well, they'd only met a couple of times, so Jensen just nodded and clung tighter to the taller man.  'Who did this?'  Even with his suspicions that this was connected to his past, Jensen still had no answers; he'd never known who it was before so he didn't know who it was then either.  

 

One thing he did know was that his friends deserved an explanation and even if they turned away from him, _hell_ , it would probably be better for them if they did, they deserved the truth.

 

'I need to talk to you both, can you guys wait around for a bit until after I’ve talked to the police.'  Jensen didn't look at either of them when he asked, knowing that they would both stay.  He just hoped he wasn't about to be carted off to a jail cell.

 

'Sure, Jen, whatever you need, we'll be here.'  Chris answered, a comforting hand resting on his shoulder.

 

****

  
  
  
An hour later and Jensen had told the police everything that had happened the night before and about his life before coming to Stanford.  He could see they didn't believe that his past was connected to all this, he'd seen those disbelieving looks before, but at least now they just thought of him as a traumatised kid rather than a homicidal murderer and had let him go. 

  
  
  
Jensen found Chris and Jared waiting for him in the quad where he and Chris always sat to study.  Jared got up as soon as he saw Jensen and strode over to him putting an arm out to bring him into a hug.  Jensen flinched away from the contact, the memories of all those years ago too fresh in his mind to deal with any kind of contact.  Jared's face was a mixture of hurt and confusion and Jensen felt fucking awful; the poor guy would never have come anywhere near Jensen if Jensen had told him the truth from the start.

   
  
  
'I…uh…I need to tell you guys some things, about me, but can you just wait till I'm done before you ask any questions.  I need to get this out all in one go or it's not gonna happen but you both, you need to know.'  Jensen let his mind wander back to three years ago, when it all begun, and somewhere he never let it go.

  
  
   
'My name isn't Jensen Ackles.  Well technically, it is, _now_ , but it wasn't always- it was Jensen Thompson.  I had to change it two years ago after some stuff happened and that name wasn't safe anymore.  I was 17 when it all started.  I started getting letters and presents in my locker at school, on the doorstep, in the mail.  Weird stuff, you know, talking to me like I was their boyfriend or something.  They weren't signed and when I told my family and my actual boyfriend, they just told me to ignore it, that it was just some kid with a crush and that they’d get over it.

 

‘So I did, I left it, but the letters just kept coming, freaking hundreds of them, and they were getting really personal, talking about things that no one should know about me and talking about shit that made me uncomfortable.

  
‘ _That's_ when my boyfriend finally took notice, six months later, when the letters started detailing all the things that the person wanted to do to me.  So then I went to the cops and told them but there was fuck all they could do about it so we settled for my boyfriend burning everything I got.  

 

Matt was starting to get pissed about it all whereas I was just fucking scared, the guy was like _obsessed_ and I lived with my…my family, I couldn't imagine anything happening to them.  Then one of the kids I was tutoring got the shit kicked out of him, I mean he’d asked me out a little while ago and I think he still had a bit of crush on me, God only knew why, but it had never gone anywhere.  Still I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he'd gotten hurt because of me, that it was my fault. 

 

‘Anyway, one day I got this letter and it was just different.  It was talking about our future together, like years from then, and it was just weird, but I didn't know what it meant.  I was so fucking stupid.  That night the cops came to my house to tell me my boyfriend was dead.’  Jensen swallowed, remembering how he’d fallen apart that night, then again at the funeral.  

 

‘The cops claimed it was a mugging gone wrong but I knew it wasn't.  I told them _everything_ but they looked at me like…like I was trying to make his death about me.  But I wasn't, I swear I wasn't.’  He looked up at the two most important people in his life, pleadingly, and taking in their shocked expressions.  He quickly looked away and continued the story in the same, almost detached fashion as before.

  
  
  
‘Anyway, after the funeral, I got this huge punch of roses and a card that said ‘Soon’.  I went straight to the cops and they hooked me up with a 24/7 police detective to look after me.  I actually felt pretty good about that; there was one at my house too, looking after my family.  Things were good for a couple of months, there were no letters, no gifts and I thought it was over and I was starting to believe that maybe my boyfriend's death _had_ just been a tragic accident, the mugging they had insisted it was.

   
  
  
‘Then the shit really hit the fan.’  This was going to be the hard bit, this was going to be the make it or break it point of his relationships with the two men in front of him.  He could barely look at himself in the mirrors some days so he knew what knowing this could do to the way they saw him.  ‘I was walking home from school with my guard and suddenly there's this thud behind me.  I stopped and looked round and the cop was on the floor and there was blood pooling around his head.  I rushed over to him but something hit me over the back of the head and knocked me out before I even touched him. 

  
  
  
‘I woke up and ...and…it wasn't good.  The guy who took me was...there, on top of me.'  Jensen looked away then, there was no way he was elaborating on that sentence; he hadn't told the cops about that and hoped that the doctors didn't know.   He certainly didn't want his boyfriend and his best friend knowing _that_ had happened to him.  

 

  
  
'I head butted him hard enough to knock him out.  It took me almost twenty minutes to unbind my hands from the headboard.  There...there was a gun, and I shot him.  He didn't even move.  I dropped the gun and ran.  I was found two days later by a couple hiking through the woods and they took me to hospital.  

 

‘I was told I’d been in a coma for a week and a half whilst everything healed.   When I woke up, my family wasn't there and that was really strange because we were really close.

 

‘A cop came by and told me that there had been a fire, arson, and that...that my family hadn't made it.  I...blacked out again after that.  As soon as I woke up, I discharged myself and left.  That first year on my own wasn't easy; I was in a pretty dark place for a lot of it and did some stupid things.  Well _more_ stupid.  

 

‘Then a year ago I said enough was enough and enrolled here, moved thousands of miles away from where it had all happened and didn't look back.  But...but now he's back and I can't...not again…and Steve...it's all my fault...but I thought he was dead, no one could find where he had taken me, I was _sure_ I had killed him, I mean I _shot him_.'  

 

Jensen was done, he broke down into sobs.  Strong arms came around his body and pulled him against a muscled chest.  He breathed in the scent of Jared and turned his face into the other man's neck, knowing he didn’t have much longer when he was going to be allowed to do this.  Talking about it all again showed him exactly what he needed to do, no matter how much it would tear him apart.  He needed to think of his friends now, their lives were in danger as long as they were near him so they needed to be… _not_ near him anymore.

 

'Jensen, none of that was your fault.  And this isn't your fault either.  I promise.  The only person to blame here is the asshole who hurt you and Steve.' 

  
  
  
'He's right, Jen, we're here for you, nothing's gonna happen to you while we're around.'  Chris added.

  
Jensen pushed away from Jared's chest at that, even though it physically hurt to do it.  'No!'  He said sharply, it had been a really stressful day for Jensen and he was having trouble keeping control of his emotions.  Taking in their looks of confusion, he continued, 'No, you have to stay away from me.  Chris, you need a new roommate, it shouldn't be too hard since our rooms are going be off limits for the next year at least and Jay, God, you more than anyone, need to walk away from this.'  _From me._

  
'Well, I’m sorry to burst you bubble, princess, but the bastard quarterback and I aren't going anywhere.'  Chris stood with his arms folded across his chest looking down at him seated on the bench.

   
'You don't _understand_ , you two are the most important people in my life, and who ever this is, believe me, they'll know that.  I'm not risking you, I'm not going to get you two killed like I…' he stopped, he couldn't go down that route again, he needed to push all that guilt back into the little box in his mind that had blown open that morning.  'Look, you just...you need to...I want you two to leave me alone, okay, so I can handle this.  I just don't need either of you crowding me right now.'  He made the words as harsh as he could given that his heart was breaking but maybe if he was enough of an asshole they'd _want_ to ditch him.

  
'Jensen,' Jared voice was soft in his ear like he was coaxing down a feral tiger, 'I know that's not what you really want.'  No it most definitely wasn't, but he couldn't let Jared know that.  'And even if it is, it's certainly not what you need.  We're sticking with you in this till this psycho's found okay.'  Jensen shook his head, no, that wasn't right, they were meant to be running, getting away from him as fast as their legs could carry them.

  
  
   
'Damn straight, jerk,' Chris smiled, probably his first smile to Jared ever and it would have been heart-warming to Jensen for his best friend and boyfriend to finally be getting along if it didn't mean they were ganging up on him and going to get themselves killed.  'We're not going anywhere- you and I, we're getting a new room but in Harvelle, not Winchester, and you don't go anywhere alone alright.  Either Jay or I are gonna be with you 24/7, isn't that just awesome for you?'  The teasing tone in Chris' voice brought a small smile to his face.

 

He was fucking exhausted and really needed to sleep but he needed to say this.  'Chris, I'm so sorry about…'

  
Chris held this hand up, palm facing Jensen, 'Stop Jensen.  Steve's death wasn't your fault and he would never have blamed you, I know that for sure.  He'd just want us to keep you safe now.'  Jensen simply nodded, not sure if that was really true, he was pretty sure that Steve, wherever he was right then, was cursing the day Jensen was born.

 

He turned to Jared who was frowning down at his phone.  'Jay what is it?'  Jared looked up at him then and his face was as deathly pale as it had been back at his and Chris' dorm room.  'I...I haven't heard back from Jake, he was meant to be back three days ago but I figured he'd found some chalet girl and shacked up with her for a few more days.  But...you don't think…?'  They were all silent for a moment remembering Jensen's story a couple of weeks ago which Jensen had convinced himself was a huge prank even though Chad had sworn he hadn't been involved.

  
 

'Try...try calling him, Jay.'  Jensen's voice shook as Jared keyed in the familiar number.  He shook his head minutely.  'It says the number's been disconnected.   I'm going to call his mom.'  Chris and Jensen left Jared to make the call.  When he came back, any colour still left in his face had completely drained from it, 'His mom said he never showed up, they didn't worry because Jake’s such a flake and he had sent them a text saying that there was an important game he didn't wanna miss.'

  
  
  
Shit!  'Oh God, then…then, what happened…it really fucking happened and I just...I left him there and then...oh my God…'  After everything that had happened that morning, he couldn’t deal with the fresh blanket of guilt that was surrounding his body, he felt like he was drowning in it.

  
  
  
'Jensen!  Stop!  Calm down.  He was already dead when you realised what was going on, there's nothing you could have done.’  Jared told him, his large hands gripping Jensen’s biceps so hard that Jensen was sure he would have bruises tomorrow.

  
'But…'  
 

'No Jensen, this isn’t your fault.'

  
'Funny that people _have_ to keep telling me that.  Don't see a pattern here, Jay?   This whole fucking mess is my fault, if I hadn’t come here, Steve and Jake would still be alive and you guys wouldn't be in danger.  Shit, I should… I should just go, transfer to New York or something.  That city's fucking massive, like to see him find me there.’  He said bitterly.

   
  
  
'No Jensen!'  The vehemence in Chris' voice stopped him.  'You can't keep running, one day he’s gonna find you and I'll let hell freeze over before I let him find you without me there.'  The determination in Chris’ eyes had Jensen biting his lip anxiously.

  
  
  
Jensen felt the tears rise to his eyes again.  'Thanks Chris.'

  
  
  
'Don't mention it.  You know how difficult it is for me to find people _willing_ to lend me beer and money and you, my friend, are one of the lucky few; you think I'm letting anything get in the way of that.'  Jensen's laugh came out as more of a sob and Chris squeezed his shoulder again in silent reassurance.  'Right, we all have class and I don't think this jerk should get in the way of that, we won't give him the satisfaction, so that means me and Jen are off to psyche and you, Jared, are off to wherever you go when you're not with Jen.'

  
  
  
Jared rolled his eyes at Chris, hearing the barely veiled insult that jocks didn't actually attend any classes, and that they didn't have enough brains to pass any of them anyway.  'You sure you'll be alright Jen?'

  
  
  
'Yeah I'll be fine with Chris, you go to your history class.'  Jensen walked up and gave the taller man a chaste kiss on the lips; he was feeling a little too raw for anything more than that right then.  And honestly he wasn't sure Jared would _want_ him touching him after everything he'd just revealed.  Jensen felt dirty himself so God only knew what Jared thought of him. 

  
  
  
That thought flew out of his mind, though, as he was pulled into a tight hug by the larger man, 'It's gonna be okay, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.'  Was whispered in his ear, only loud enough for him to hear.  The idea of Jared protecting him sent a thrill of fear and a wave of warmth through him at the same time, just to add to the mountain of confusing, conflicting stuff he was feeling right then.  Warmth that Jared still wanted to protect him after hearing everything about Jensen's past and fear that Jared might just get in the killer's way and get himself hurt.  

 

The larger man pulled back, giving Jensen a quick kiss on the nose.  'See you tonight?'

  
  
  
'Yeah, I'll…come watch you practice, if you want, and we can do something after that?'  Jensen loved watching Jared practise, his boyfriend was perfection on the field and it made him feel aroused and proud all at the same time to watch him.  He was still amazed that that gorgeous guy wanted to spend time with someone like him. 

  
  
  
'Sounds perfect.  See you then.'  Jared nodded to Chris, a temporary truce having been established, then jogged off to his next class.  
  
  



	9. Chapter Nine.

 

** Chapter Nine. **

 

The next few days were pretty incident free except for Coach Beaver nearly banning Jensen from all future practice football sessions for distracting his quarterback.  Jensen thought that was exceedingly unfair seeing as all he was doing was sitting on the bleachers; it wasn't his fault if his boyfriend kept sneaking glances up at him and missing the ball.  It made Jensen feel all warm inside to have Jared's attention focused on him like that. 

  
  
  
The police were no closer to catching the guy who'd killed Steve and no one had found Jake so he'd just been told to carry on as normal.  That was easy for them to say; they didn't have a serial killer coming after them and their friends.  As such, Jensen tried to keep the same routine; he still went to class, he still went out (with Jared or Chris) and he still worked his job at the student bar.

 

The only change he did make was that he didn't hang around with anyone _but_ Chris and Jared; there was no way he was flagging up any of his other friends as targets and since none of them knew the risks like Chris and Jared they wouldn’t know that they needed to be careful.

   
  
  
Campus security was crap; they had done fuck all except issue warnings for everyone to avoid going out around alone after dark and to always have a cell phone on them.  Which was pretty much what everyone tended to do anyway, it was the 21st century, for God's sake, it was just what you did.

  
  
  
Jensen had been offered 24 hour police protection but had declined it.  Jared had been pissed when he’d found out, thinking that the idea sounded pretty sensible, but all it took was Jensen reminding him what happened the last time he had been given that privilege and he said no more on the subject.  Chris was surprisingly silent on the issue; Jensen had thought he would really push for a continuous police presence around Jensen, but Jensen was thankful he hadn't.  Chris did know him damn well and probably knew why Jensen would be hesitant to have that, without Jensen needing to spell it out to him.

  
  
  
****

The following Monday, he was sat alone in his new dorm room since Jared was at an Away game and Chris had a gig, working with someone who _wasn't_ Steve, even though Jensen really tried not to dwell on that fact.  He was watching this new show he’d stumbled across, whilst flicking aimlessly through the channels, about two brothers who fought the Supernatural; it was pretty good and the tall guy was really kind of hot.

 

Suddenly, his cell phone rang making him jump; he didn't expect a call from Jared for another couple of hours and not one at all from Chris.  His brow furrowed when he saw the caller ID flash up as MISHA.  He hadn't spoken to the guy all week and he couldn't imagine what Misha wanted to talk to him about at 9pm on a Monday night.  He really hoped that he wasn’t about to get chewed out for being a really shitty friend, he didn’t think he could handle that right now.

  
  
  
'Hello?'

'J-J-Jen...Jensen?'  Jensen was on his feet instantly, something was wrong, terribly wrong, he could feel it.

  
  
  
'Misha, what's wrong, are you okay?'

  
  
  
'I...I…He said...said I had...to...c-c-c-all you, only you.'  Jensen's heart was beating so fast he thought he might just have a heart attack in the middle of the dorm room.

  
  
  
‘Misha, man, who said you have to call me, where are you?'  Jensen asked his friend, worriedly, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

  
'I...I...I d-d-don't know.  It's s-s-so c-c-cold Jensen.  The i-i-ice...'

  
  
  
'Meesh, I don't know what you're talking about; you said that there was someone with you?'  Jensen hated to push his friend but he needed to know, he needed to know what he was about to walk into.

 

'Yeah, he's g-g-gone now but he s-s-said he'll b-b-be b-b-back to talk t-t-to you.'  Misha answered, clearly completely at a loss to explain what was happening.

 

  
  
_ Jesus Christ _ , he needed to find Misha right the fuck now.  He grabbed his coat and flew out the door.

  
  
   
'Right, Misha is there anything you remember?  Is there anything familiar about where you are so I can find you?'  The campus wasn’t huge but Jensen really didn’t have time to go looking through every building before the pyscho came back for his friend. 

  
  
  
'D-d-don't remember anything.  I-I-I'm in a b-b-bathroom but the door, it's l-l-locked, I t-t-tried it.'  Jensen could hear the other man crying then and it broke his heart, Misha never let anything upset him.  Never.  'H-h-he c-cc-ut out my k-k-kidney, Jensen. Help me _please_.'

  
  
  
The man was growing more hysterical as the call went on and Jensen couldn’t blame him.  _Fuck_!  This was so not happening.  'Okay, buddy, it's alright, it's gonna be alright.'  He soothed his friend down the phone, now he just needed to make sure it happened.

  
  
   
'So this bathroom, any idea where you think it is, there a window to look out?'  Jensen questioned in the same calm voice he had used before.

 

'Y-Y-yeah, I-I-I can't fit through, b-b-but I-I-I can look out.'  Jensen heard scuffling and the groans of pain as the man, on the other end of the line, made his slow way across the bathroom.  He must have been so fucking scared and Jensen hated himself all the more, in that moment, because it was his damn fault Misha was there at all.  It should have been him- it _always_ should have been him.  'O-O-Oh I know where I-I-I am.  It's S-S-Singer Hall, J-J-Jen.'

  
  
  
'Awesome, great job, Misha, I can be there in five. You sit tight, I'll be there soon.'

 

Jensen heard a clatter followed by a loud bang.  'Meesh?'  He said tentatively.

  
  
  
He heard a distant ‘NONONONONONO’ and a scream.  'Misha!'  He said louder down the phone. 

  
  
  
'This is why you really shouldn't make friends Jensen.'  Then the line went dead. 

 

The voice was a dull monotone, clearly modified by some sort of device - unrecognisable.

   
  
  
No.  Please no.  He ran to Singer Hall, his vision blurring as he got closer. He didn't even care anymore that he was running towards the killer.  As Jensen ran, he grabbed his cell phone and dialled the police and an ambulance for Misha, he was sure the guy would be okay, Jensen was _almost_ there; if he just ran fast enough, Misha would be okay.

   
  
  
Once inside the derelict hall, Jensen grabbed a long plank of wood, that was leaning against the wall from the unfinished renovations, to use as a weapon and took the stairs three at a time.  At the top of the stairs, he saw that the door to the end bathroom was slightly ajar, and the unmistakable bloody handprint on the doorframe made his stomach lurch.

   
  
  
Gripping the wood beam tightly, Jensen slowly approached the door.  He pushed it open gently and whispered as quietly as he could, 'Misha.’  He stepped over the threshold and into the bathroom and it was like deja vu, Misha's nearly naked body was lying in a tub filled with ice.  Another friend lying before him, no sign of life in his body.  The ice was stained almost completely red from a slash across the other man's abdomen that had sent half of his bowel tumbling to the floor. 

 

Jensen swallowed down the vomit, this time, and the panic.  He walked over to his friend to check his pulse, it was stupid given that half of Misha’s insides were on the outside now.  (Jensen was pretty much in shock and he felt he could probably be forgiven that one.)  But when he saw the vacant blue eyes staring up at the ceiling and the mouth open in a silent scream of agony he backed away rapidly till his back hit the opposite wall and he sank down onto the cold, tiled floor.

  
  
   
Jensen sat, for a moment, trying to catch his breath so that he didn't pass out before he realised his hand had landed on something soft.  He looked down and saw his right hand pressing on a kidney…a bloody kidney.  Jensen screamed and scrambled away.  At that instant, the door swung open and a man in a beige hooded trench coat walked in.  

 

Jensen couldn't see his face in the dark of the room and behind the man's pulled up hood but he could feel the menace in his eyes.

  
An axe split the tiles on the floor next to where he sat.  Jensen jumped up and pushed the man away as he struggled to get his axe out of the floor again.  Jensen ran out the door but cried out when he felt the axe blade graze down his right arm, cutting into the flesh.  He just kept running.  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter Ten.

 

** Chapter Ten. **

Jensen met the cops outside, blood dripping down his arm onto the floor.

The paramedics were patching up his arm as he police asked him questions about what had happened.  Jensen just stared blankly forward, saying nothing.   The police obviously took pity on him and left him alone once he didn't answer any of their questions.

  
  
  
Another friend dead.  Because of him.  And he had been _so_ close, five minutes earlier, and Misha would have made it.  The guy was right about one thing though; this was why Jensen wasn’t allowed to have friends, he just brought all his shit down on their heads.  Maybe he shouldn’t have run away, maybe he should have just let the bastard get him and then it would all be over and everyone else would be safe.

  
  
  
He was escorted back to his room and passed out as soon as his head met the pillow.

  
  
****

In the morning, he was awoken by a hand shaking his shoulder gently.  'Come on, Jen, we need to get you showered and out of those clothes.'   It was Chris and Jensen turned to look at his friend.  Chris’ expression was a mixture of concerned and sad.  'You with me Jen?'

  
  
  
Jensen nodded.  Yes, _he_ was still with them but Misha wasn't, he was gone and it was all Jensen’s fault.  'Misha...he…'

  
  
  
'I know Jen.'  Chris pulled him into a hug despite Jensen's desperate need of a shower.  'I'm sorry you had to see that.  Now how about that shower, yeah?'

  
  
  
Jensen frowned and Chris gestured down at him.  Jensen looked down and he was covered in splatters of blood, some his own and some his friend's.  He looked down at his hands and laughed bitterly, 'Well, would you look at that.  What do you think of that symbolism, eh Chris?'  His hands were red with dried blood; Misha's blood was _literally_ on his hands.

  
  
  
'Stop it Jensen.'  Chris said sternly.

   
  
  
'Why?  You know Misha called me last night, _begged_ me to help him and I was so close, _so_ close Chris and I still couldn't save him.'  Jensen shot back.  He was such a failure; he might as well have gutted Misha himself for all the help he had been to the other man.

  
'No one would have been able to.'  Chris replied, in such a reasonable voice that it only made Jensen more angry and frustrated.  Chris wasn’t _allowed_ to be this understanding when he had caused Misha _and_ Steve’s deaths; he wasn’t _allowed_ to be Jensen’s friend after that.  Jensen just didn’t deserve it.

  
  
  
'He sounded so confused, the guy didn’t even know why it had happened, no idea that he was gonna die because he had made friends with a freak.  The psycho was fucking right, I should never have made friends here, never.'

  
  
  
'You’re _not_ a freak, Jensen, and Misha didn't need to know any of that shit; it would have made absolutely no difference in the end.  And I knew the guy too, okay, if you had told him about your past he would have stood by you, no matter the risk.'  Chris reassured him.

  
  
  
Jensen just shook his head, he'd never know if that was true, Misha was never given the _choice_ to stick by him or not.  He wasn't sure whom he hated more right then, himself or the killer.

   
  
  
'This was not your fault.'  And there it was again, that magic phrase that Jensen had heard so often in his young life.  He was damn sure that if none of these things were his fault then he shouldn’t have been hearing that phrase quite so much.

 

'Right.'  Jensen said tightly as he pulled his shirt over his head, wincing at the pull on his arm.  He held the shirt in front of his chest until he got into the bathroom, no one had seen those scars outside the hospital and he didn't intend Chris to ever see them either.  He had left them out of the story on purpose.  

 

Jensen looked at his chest in the mirror over the sink.  There were several random, faint criss- crossed scars which had pretty much healed and he was sure he could only see them because he knew they were there and knew how they had gotten there. 

 

His gaze drifted lower to his hip where a vivid white scar stood out even against his pale skin, that cut had been deep, dug into the flesh again and again to make sure that it would never fade and Jensen would never be able to forget the message.   The doctors had said it would likely never heal completely and that he would carry the awful reminder for the rest of his life. 

  
  
  
**'SEE ME.  
EVER MINE'**

  
  
  
Jensen slipped off his trousers and stepped into the shower.  He turned the water on, leaving it on cold and allowed the painful shards of cold water to cut into his skin.  It was no less punishment than he deserved.

  
  
****

  
Jensen distinctly remembered sitting on the couch, while the pretended to watch a documentary on whales, so he was kind of surprised when he opened his eyes and he was in his bed.  What was even more surprising was that Jared was sitting on the bed looking down at him, stroking his hair.

  
'Hey, baby.  Feeling any better?'  He asked, his voice full of concern that Jensen just didn't deserve.  Jensen shrugged casually and swallowed the lump in his throat, he really just wanted to bury his face in Jared's chest and cry until the hand crushing his heart was gone and he could breathe again.

 

'We can do that.'  Jared smiled fondly and Jensen realised he must have said that out loud.  He blushed and didn't move from his prone position.  Jared sighed, leaned down and pulled Jensen into his broad chest; Jensen resisted for a moment, pulling away; he shouldn't be being comforted right then, not after what had happened to Misha. 

 

He couldn’t help it though, his eyes began to drift closed again and within moments, he was asleep again, Jared’s fingers carding lightly through his hair.  
  
  



	11. Chapter Eleven.

 

** Chapter Eleven. **

 

Jensen was almost dozing off as he drove back to campus.  Jared had told him, that after what had happened to Misha, he was going to quit the football team, not wanting to spend half his games away from campus, away from Jensen.  

 

That was ludicrous and he had told Jared so - as if he wasn’t causing Jared, perfect Jared, enough trouble as it was - so he’d suggested that he could take Jared’s truck (it was way more reliable than Jensen’s beat up old chevy) to all of Jared’s Away games, and Jensen could come to the Home games as well.  To be honest, Jensen had pretty much gone to all of Jared’s Home games _before_ they had started dating so it wasn’t really much of a stretch for him to come watch the Away ones as well now that they were.

 

On instinct, Jensen flashed the driver on the other side of the road who had forgotten to turn its lights on.

 

Instantly, something clicked in Jensen’s brain but it was too late; the other car swerved and pulled into his lane behind them, dangerously close to the bumper of Jared’s truck.  

 

Jensen knew that he needed to get back to campus, back to Jared or Chris, to be honest at that precise moment, he would have settled for anywhere that wasn’t that deserted road.  As if the other car had heard him, Jensen felt a hard bump against the back of the truck that caused him to lose control of the truck for a moment, before getting it back under control.

 

Jensen was cursing under his breath as he weaved across the road trying to absorb the hits from the car behind them.  Jensen looked out the back window, desperately trying to see the face of the other driver but that damn ever-present hood was still hiding his face.  He turned back just in time to feel such a hard shove that it pushed the truck off the road, down the slope at the side and into the woods.  

 

The truck struck a tree and it all went dark.

 

  
****

 

Jensen woke up a little while later, still in the same position he had been in before the crash.  His head was thumping and he felt nauseous; he was pretty sure he had a concussion but he was awake so he considered himself lucky.  He turned in his seat, trying to get at the door handle, and a pain ripped through his side at the movement. 

 

Jensen really needed to get out of there, there was no telling where the killer was; he’d clearly passed out when he’d hit the tree and the guy could have been anywhere.  

 

‘Jen?’ Jensen opened his eyes, not realising that he’d closed them and looked in the direction of the voice. 

 

‘Oh thank God.’  He all but whispered, ‘Jared, we need to get out of here, the killer…’  Jensen turned back to his door, hissing at the pain in his side, trying to force it open.  There was something dripping in his eyes, he reached up and wiped it away.

 

‘Jen, baby, you need to stay still okay.’  Jared’s voice was soft but strong but Jensen still couldn’t figure out why they weren’t moving, why Jared was even there?  Whatever, they just needed to get out of there.  He couldn’t get the car door to budge.  ‘Jen?’

 

‘What is it Jared?  We…we have to…Jay…I don’t…’  Jensen looked back up at Jared’s pale face and followed the taller man’s eye-line to his abdomen.  He saw a large shard of windscreen glass protruding from his stomach.  ‘Oh.’

 

‘It’s okay, Jensen, the ambulance is already on its way, it’ll be here in a few minutes then we can get you out of here.’  Jared voice was soothing and Jensen felt the tension leaving his muscles as the pain began to fade and his eyes started to close again, ‘No!  Jen, stay awake.  Stay awake for me, _please,_ help is coming.  Jen!’  

 

But the yelling just seemed so far away, maybe this was it; to be fair, Jensen could admit he’d had a good run, this had been coming since he was seventeen and maybe now, the rest of his friends would be safe.

 

With that comforting thought, he gave himself up to oblivion. 

 

****

 

Jensen woke up to bright lights and a strong smell that stung his nose.  And shouting.  It was all making his head pound painfully and he just wanted it to stop; he wanted the peacefulness back that he’d enjoyed only moments before.

 

‘Mr. Kane, you’re going to have to leave if you can’t calm down.’  Chris?  Chris was there?  And where was _there_ exactly?  Jensen forced his eyes all the way open and slowly moved his head from side to side to take in his surroundings.  Ah, the hospital then.   He levered himself up in the bed and tried to follow the argument raging outside his curtained cubicle.

 

‘You were meant to be looking after him; you had to take care of him for all of 24 fucking hours and you couldn’t even do that.  He almost _died_ , you idiot, and it would’ve been all your fault.’

 

‘I wasn’t in the car with him Kane, how the hell was I supposed to stop that psycho if I wasn’t even there!’

 

‘Never again, he’s never going anywhere with _you_ again!’

  
  
‘Will, you guys keep it down out there; some of us are trying to die in peace here.’  

  
  
Even though he knew it was coming, he was still surprised when Chris ripped back the curtain. 

 

‘That’s so  unbelievably not funny Jensen.’

 

  
‘Come on, it’s a little funny.’  Jensen flashed his best fake grin up at his best friend, and upon only receiving a glare back from him, he turned the grin on his boyfriend instead but he got the same result there.  He sighed, ‘Look, I was just trying to stop you guys tearing each other’s throats out okay.’

 

Both glares turned to guilty looks; it was quite amazing to Jensen how they could look so similar and yet were so very different. 

 

‘So, Jen, do you remember what happened?’  Chris asked after a moment or two of silence. 

 

‘Kind of…it’s a bit hazy but I flashed this guy who didn’t have his lights on,’ he saw the other two men open their mouths but cut them off, ‘I know, I know, it was freaking stupid but I was exhausted and not really thinking.  I haven’t slept properly in weeks and I just…just did it as habit.  As soon as I’d done it, I knew what a dumbass move it was but by then it was too late and the asshole was already trying to run me off the road.  Apparently he succeeded.’  He smiled again, trying to play down the situation a little.  He knew, though, if Jared hadn’t found him, he would have been dead; either he would have bled out or that psycho would have come back to finish the job.

 

Something flickered in his brain, something completely unwanted and unbidden; he suddenly felt nauseous in a way that had nothing to do with the concussion he was surely suffering from.  ‘Then you.  I remember you being there Jared.  How did you find me?’  How did Jared find him?   In the vastness of those woods, it was pretty much impossible to find anything down there, especially in the pitch black.

 

‘Well, you didn’t come back to my dorm so I went looking for you.  I drove all along the road and came back to a spot where the road fence was broken, and there were tyre marks leading into the forest and I just assumed…I _hoped_ it wasn’t you.  But it was.’  Chris looked incredulously at Jared; it _was_ pretty damn far-fetched but it _could_ have happened like that.  

 

Jensen bit his lip, he really wanted to believe Jared because the only other alternative for Jared knowing where Jensen was…was unthinkable.

 

He would leave it for the moment; he had precious few people he could trust right then and all of them happened to be in the room with him.  Jensen didn’t really have the luxury of alienated his friends, and he was probably just being paranoid anyway.  Even if the little voice in his head told him that Jared had _never_ been  present at the same time that the killer had been, so it _could_ have been him all along. 

 

‘So what’s the damage?’  He asked, desperate to change the subject before Chris could start prodding holes in Jared’s story, Jensen didn’t think he could take that right then.  Chris held power of attorney for him, so the doctors would have told him everything that he needed to know about Jensen’s condition.  

 

Jensen had no family left so he had asked Chris, within a month of knowing him, if he would take on the responsibility- hey, they were young; Chris probably never thought he’d ever be in the position to actually have to use it or make any decisions on Jensen’s behalf.  But that had been before he had known what a clusterfuck Jensen’s life really was.

 

Chris stepped forward, turning his suspicious eyes away from Jared, who had since moved to the chair beside Jensen’s bed, looking almost afraid to touch him.  ‘Well, the doc said they removed a huge chunk of glass from your gut; it pierced your stomach so they needed to sow all that up before they could do much else.  You lost a shit load of blood from there and from where you banged your head up pretty good.  You’ve been asleep for like a day and a half, they’ve been monitoring your brain for any swelling, but the doc said you’ll probably be okay if they don’t see anything in 24 hours.’

 

‘So I can go home then?’  Jensen asked hopefully; he’d spent way too much time in hospitals in his life, as a patient and waiting for news on his family.  None of those times had ended well.

  

‘No fucking way.’  Chris blurted out. 

 

‘Not yet Jen.’  Jared said more softly and reached for Jensen’s hand this time, like he had clearly been wanting to do since he had sat down.  ‘Don’t worry we won’t leave you here alone, I’ve made sure that there’s going to be a cop on your door 24/7 and I’m not going anywhere.’  Jensen didn’t want to point out all the flaws in that plan, the chief one being that a personal 24 hour cop didn’t stop him from getting kidnapped and…the first time and he also really didn’t _want_ Jared there.  All that did was put him in the line of fire when this bastard came to finish Jensen off, which he invariably would given the fact that at the moment Jensen was a sitting duck and had all the strength of a new born kitten.

 

‘Neither am I.’  Chris said walking to the other side of Jensen’s bed.  Great.   _Two_ friends he had to worry about.

 

‘Look, guys, I think it’s alright if you go home, you know.  He won’t try anything here, there are nurses and doctors around all the time and like you said, Jay, there’s going to be a cop on the door all day and all night.  I’ll be fine.  You two, just go home.’  To Jensen’s distress, his friends were already moving, but not in the direction he wanted, not in the direction of the door to the ward.

 

Jared just dipped into his bag and pulled out a book on Shakespeare and brought his long legs up to cross them at the bottom of Jensen’s bed and Chris dragged a chair from another cubicle over to the side opposite Jared and sat with a FHM magazine perched on his knee.

 

‘Guys, you can’t…’

 

He was silenced by a chaste kiss from Jared, _geez_ , the guy didn’t even really have to move he was so freaking tall.  ‘We can and we will.’  He added a little more quietly, obviously meant for Jensen’s ears only, ‘I’m not leaving you alone again, Jensen; until we find this asshole, think of me as your shadow, where you go, I go.  We’re in this together, right until the very end.’

 

Jensen gave the other man a weak smile. Wow, did that sound ominous or was it just him?  

 

****

  
  
Jensen had been sat staring at the familiar brown envelope in his lap for the past hour.  He knew that he was due at Jared’s soon and needed to leave but he couldn’t seem to stop staring at it.  Logically, he knew that no matter how long he left it, the thing inside wouldn’t change; the words written wouldn’t be any different if he just never opened it at all.  Jensen knew he _had_ to read it; the killer had sent it to him for a reason and if it gave him some sort of clue, any hint at what the guy wanted or what he was going to do next, Jensen couldn’t afford to miss it. 

 

Still, he stayed staring at the envelope.  Clearly, logic wasn’t his friend right then. 

 

His phone vibrating next to him made him almost jump out of his skin.  He looked down to see a text from Jared. 

 

_ ‘Where r u?  R u ok?’ _

 

Fingers trembling, he quickly typed back, _‘Fine, be there is 20.’_  With that, he scooped up the unopened envelope and put it into his backpack before swinging the bag onto his back.  Whatever was inside was meant to torment _Jensen_ , no one else, so opening it with Jared might give him some of the support he needed actually to get the damn thing out. 

 

  
****

 

  
Jensen arrived half an hour later to Jared’s and knocked on the door.  Jared opened the door, hair still wet from the shower, and pulled Jensen inside.  ‘What’s the matter, Jensen?’  He asked instantly; it was like the guy could read his freaking mind.

 

Jensen considered lying for a moment but he _had_ brought the envelope with him for a reason so pretending everything was okay would kind of defeat the point of that. 

 

‘I got another letter today.’  He said quietly. 

 

‘Oh.  What did it say?’  Jared asked calmly although Jensen could feel the tension in the room climb up a few notches.

 

Jensen just shrugged, a little ashamed that he was too much of a coward to open the package alone, but he’d had enough surprises in brown envelopes to last him a life time.  He pulled the unopened envelope out of his back pack and settled it on his thighs, his hands clasped tightly together on top of it. 

 

‘Do you want me to open it for you?’  Jared asked. 

 

Jensen shook his head fervently.  There was no knowing what was inside, hell there could be a needle or a razor in there for all Jensen knew.  There was no way he was putting Jared in danger like that, _any more danger_ his conscience helpfully added.  Plus the message was meant for him, the torment for him, so he wouldn’t put that on another human being.  

 

Running a hand nervously across the back of his neck, he flipped the envelope over with shaking hands and was just about to rip open the top when he felt something heavy settle against his back.  He looked around and saw Jared sitting behind him, his hand resting reassuringly in the centre of his back, grounding him in the present and stopping him from drifting off into the horrors of the past.  Jensen nodded jerkily, hoping his thanks was understood. 

 

  
Jensen tore open the package and peeked inside.  Instead of the usual indistinct white paper, there appeared to be something small and plastic inside.  Jensen tipped the envelope upside down and a DVD case fell into his lap.

 

** ‘WATCH ME.’ **   Was written over the transparent case cover.  Fear and trepidation crept into Jensen’s gut; he really didn’t want to know what was on that disc, it could have been anything.  The bastard had sent him some pretty nasty and downright terrifying photos over the years; he didn’t want to think about what the guy felt Jensen needed to watch live.

 

Nonetheless, he had to watch it.  Jensen pulled his laptop out of his bag and connected it to the mains in Jared’s room.  He placed the DVD in the slot and waited for it to load.    

 

The screen was dark; Jensen could barely make out what was being shown.  It looked like a dorm room and he could distinctly see a bed close to the screen but that was pretty much all he could make out.  Suddenly, a bedside lamp switched on and Jensen saw Danneel lazily stretching out on her bed.

 

‘Oh my God, is that…’  Jared asked over his shoulder, his hand still planted firmly on the middle of Jensen’s back.

 

‘Danni, yeah, it is.’  The cold uneasy feeling in his gut was spreading through the rest of body, chilling him to the bone.  He fished his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialled Danni’s cell number; unsurprisingly it went to voice mail.  But that didn’t have to mean anything, Jensen told himself, Danni was really busy; she belonged to a shitload of clubs and had probably just turned it off so they weren’t disturbed.  He rang her dorm room number and waited for seventeen rings before giving up, she had probably gone out; the girl had a social life that Paris Hilton would envy. 

 

  
He flicked his eyes back to the screen when he heard a giggle and Danni say, ‘Rufus, that’s gross, bad dog.’  Rufus was Danneel’s dog, no one but her closest friends and her roommate knew that she had him, but she’d found him wandering round the campus one day and sort of adopted him despite the ‘No Pets’ rule the college employed.  

 

Jensen watched as Danni wiped her hand on the bed spread.  This was looking awfully familiar.  

 

The DVD jumped and Danni was in the room again but just in a towel, clearly fresh out of the shower.  Jensen felt like a perv watching his friend and it made him feel sick that the bastard had seen Danneel like that too.  ‘Rufus?  Rufus, honey, tea time.’  The girl called as she stepped out of the frame.  Danneel came back into focus a few moments later looking confused, she obviously hadn’t found Rufus and there weren’t many places for the little dog to hide.

 

‘Rufus, where are you sweetie?’  She sat down on the bed and then laughed.  ‘Hon, what have I said about licking my feet.  Bad dog.’  She hopped off the bed and knelt down just as a hand shot out from under the bed and grabbed her wrist.  ‘What the fuck!’  She yelled and then screamed as the hand, and now arm, gripped tight and started to drag her under the bed. ‘Get off me!’

 

Jensen crutched the laptop harder, his knuckles turning white.   He dialled Danneel’s dorm room number again, listening to the endless, unanswered rings just as his friend disappeared under the bed.  A high pitched scream echoed from the computer and tapered off into a wet, gurgling sound.  Then it all went silent.  Nothing in the room moved.  _Nothing_.  

 

Jensen was breathing fast, the phone still pressed to his ear, as the constant ringing helped confirm his suspicions that his friend would never be picking up her phone again.  
  
  



	12. Chapter Twelve.

  
 

** Chapter Twelve. **

 

‘Jensen, Jensen.’  Jensen batted away the hands on his face, he just wanted to go back to sleep, he was so damn tired.   Whoever the jerk trying to wake him up was, grabbed his hands and held them tight.  Jensen opened his eyes and saw Jared looking down at him worriedly, ‘Jen?’

 

‘Jay?’  Jensen shook his head, had they gone to bed last night?  He couldn’t remember going to sleep.  _Last night_.  Then it all flooded back to him; the DVD, Danneel, the…the man under the bed.  He shot up on the bed, immediately regretting it as a wave of dizziness and nausea overtook him and he nearly passed out.  Again apparently. 

 

‘You okay, you passed out?’  Jared large hand was on his forehead checking his temperature whilst pretending to brush away some stray hair.  

 

‘I’m sorry.’  He was such a loser, Jared hadn’t fucking passed out after watching the damn DVD and he had seen everything that Jensen had.  It was just…well, he had been amped up for hours about what was in the envelope and his stress levels had obviously peaked when he had seen Danneel dragged under the bed.  

 

  
‘Don’t be sorry, baby, it was fucking awful to watch, I was nearly gone there too, to tell you the truth.’  But he wasn’t though; he was still there holding Jensen against his chest, supporting his weight when Jensen clearly couldn’t do it himself.

 

‘Danni?’  Jensen said quietly, not really wanting to know the answer.  He looked up at Jared for the first time since he had pressed play on the damn DVD.  The man was pale, his handsome features drawn into a frown, and Jensen knew the answer before he even told him.  Danni was dead, probably had been dead hours before Jensen had even received the DVD.  

 

‘I’m so sorry, Jensen; I called campus security and they went to check her place.   She was…dead.  They think it happened sometime yesterday, her roommate’s visiting her parents for a couple of days so they can’t get an exact time, no one was around to find the body.’  He paused, clearly unsure as to whether he should continue, ‘They found the dog hanging in the shower with a message written on the wall.

 

** 'PEOPLE CAN LICK TOO' **

 

  
Jensen just nodded, it was what Jensen expected; the man had obviously felt the need to complete the urban legend to the letter and finish the scene with the iconic words smeared in blood across the wall.  ‘Who the fuck is this guy, Jen?’

 

‘I…I don’t know Jay.’  He said shaking his head, feeling the tears pricking at the backs of his eyes again.  He felt so fucking helpless and it just wasn’t fair, how was he supposed to fight something when he couldn’t get anywhere near it?   Jensen was more than ready for a showdown with this guy, if it meant the man would stop killing off his friends, but that obviously wasn’t the guy’s plan just yet.  He was clearly saving Jensen for last, letting him watch his friends die knowing it was his fault, before he finally came for Jensen himself.

 

  
Jensen felt himself pulled tighter against Jared’s chest and buried his head in the larger man’s neck.  It felt so good to be held like this, Jared felt so always strong, so solid, like he could protect Jensen from anything.  Jensen brought his arms up and around Jared so his hands could cling to Jared’s muscular back through his thin T-shirt.   The man felt so alive under his fingertips; proof that not everything in Jensen’s world was falling apart.  

 

  
He still had this, he still had Jared, and he _needed_ the other man to remind him that they were both still there and both still alive. 

 

Jensen pushed himself up and sat down in Jared’s lap before wrapping his arms around the larger man again.

 

  
‘Jen, what are you doing?’  Jared asked, but didn’t loosen his own hold on Jensen. 

 

‘I just…I just…I need to feel, to feel _something_ , Jay, please.’  He kissed Jared’s neck; he had very little experience of all this since he’d pretty much locked himself away from the world at 18 and hadn’t had a boyfriend since Matt.

 

‘Okay, baby, it’s okay.’  Jared stroked his large hands up and down Jensen’s sides and back, both soothing him and sending shivers down his spine at the same time.  Jensen gasped at the feel of Jared’s hard cock against his ass, as he sat back, but rocked down hard, drawing a groan from the other man.  ‘Don’t push anything Jen, we don’t have to do anything.’  The tightness in Jared’s voice, the barely maintained control, only spurred Jensen on, he wanted this.  Jensen didn’t care how wrong it was to be doing this when so much bad had happened; he just knew he needed it and he needed Jared.

 

‘I want to, please Jared, _please_.’  He rocked down again on the man’s substantial erection hoping Jared would get the point and not make him say it.

  

Jared merely nodded, his brow a tight line of concentration, ‘You done anything like this before?’  Jensen wanted to be insulted, Jesus he was 20, why would Jared assume he was a virgin.  But he was, because what had happened _before_ , just didn’t fucking count, and if Jared had really listened to his story he would have probably guessed that Jensen was.  Jensen just nodded and blushed, feeling every bit the freak he was.  ‘Hey, that’s okay, I’ll go slow.’  Jensen felt himself lifted as Jared laid him back on the bed.  

 

  
He felt the larger man reach for the hem of his shirt and then he remembered like a bolt form the blue.  ‘Wait!’  Jared stopped instantly looking at Jensen worriedly.  ‘I…we just need to turn the lights out.’  If Jared wanted to do this naked, which Jensen was all for since a naked Jared would be even hotter than a clothed Jared - a naked him, however…not so much.  

 

Jared raised an eyebrow and gave Jensen that look that made it feel like he was looking right into his soul, ‘Why?’

 

‘Just…just because…I like it that way.’  The excuse was lame and he knew that Jared didn’t buy it for a moment if the look of disbelief on his face was any indication.

 

‘Real reason Jen.’  Jared said softly, placing a hand on the side of Jensen’s face.  Jensen wanted to push into the touch and tell Jared the last bit of his story but, _God,_ hadn’t the rest of it been bad enough?  And with everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks and everything they’d seen that day, what if this last thing was just too much and Jared walked out the door.

 

He couldn’t risk it.

 

So Jensen pulled away from the hand and sat up, ‘Fine.  If you don’t wanna do this Jared, that’s fine with me, I’ve got shit loads of stuff to do today anyway.’  He swung his legs over the side of the bed and made to get up, grab his bag and leave.  He felt Jared large, but gentle, hand latch onto his arm; the pressure firm but not harsh. 

 

  
‘Jen, I never said that.’  He said, still using that soft understanding voice that made Jensen just want to sit back down and tell him everything even if he knew he’d only regret it when Jared walked out the door and out of his life.  ‘It’s just I know you and you never do anything without a reason, so what’s the reason for this?’

 

‘I…I…’  He just couldn’t say it, the scars pretty much confirmed what he hadn’t been able to tell his friends before.  Where they were on him, what they said, it made it pretty damn obvious what had happened in that room.  Jensen bit his lip trying to figure out a plausible lie to tell his boyfriend for why he couldn’t take his shirt off during sex or why he wanted the light off.

 

‘Don’t lie to me Jensen.’  _Christ, how did he do that?!_   Jensen dared to look back at Jared, who was still sitting on the bed; it looked like he hadn’t moved since Jensen had sat back up.  His face was kind, understanding, but his eyes held a steely quality telling Jensen that if he lied to him now…

 

  
Jensen shook his head and let Jared pull him back onto the bed so they were facing each other on the sheets, close enough that Jensen could hear Jared breathing; slow and calm and everything Jensen wasn’t.  ‘Jen, you know you can tell me anything and it’ll never change the way I feel about you but I can’t take you lying to me.  This is all pointless if you don’t trust me.’  It wasn’t meant unkindly, it was just the truth, and Jensen knew it but the very idea that they might not work out sent a shard of pain through his chest, making breathing even more difficult.  ‘Come on, just tell me what it is, maybe I can help.’

 

Jensen snorted a bitter laugh at that, as soon as Jared knew he was going to be running as fast as possible in the other direction - there was just only so much weird a normal person could take.  But he also knew that Jared wasn’t going to let it go and for some reason Jensen couldn’t lie for shit around Jared; he’d never been all that good at it in the first place but with Jared it was damn near impossible.  ‘Fine, you wanna see, just remember _you_ asked to see this.’  Jared jaw clenched like he wanted to say something to that but Jensen ignored him and whipped the T-shirt off, hoping the band aid rule was best.  Jared frowned at him blankly with a kind of confused expression on his face.

 

  
‘ _What?_ ’  Jensen asked irritably, desperately trying to keep from crossing his arms across his chest. 

 

  
‘I don’t see anything.’

 

‘Oh for fuck’s sake.’  Jensen grabbed Jared’s hand and drew it up to his chest, placing it over the scars, which might well be invisible to Jared in the low light of the room, but he knew the man would be able to feel the raised lines across his chest.  

 

‘ _Jesus_.’  Jared whispered and all the anger left Jensen, replaced by fear and rejection dousing him like a bucket of cold water.  He dropped Jared’s hand and made to move away and grab his shirt.  But Jared stopped him, his hand still tracing Jensen’s chest.  Jensen closed his eyes against the tears he knew were forming, he wouldn’t cry about  it, he’d cried too many times about that night.  He gasped when he felt warm lips press against his chest.

 

Jared’s hand continued to map across his chest, moving down to feel over his abs and Jensen felt his tongue trace the lines of his scars.  ‘So beautiful.’  Jensen snorted, the guy was clearly off his rocker, no wonder he’d stuck around for so long.  ‘Jensen, you _are_ beautiful, these don’t make you anything less than you are.  You’re still the guy I’m in love with.’  Jensen’s eyes flew open, at that, to look at the man in front of him.

 

‘Jay, I don’t think…’  Jensen shook his head in denial, Jared didn’t know what he was saying, what he was getting tangled up in.  They hadn’t even explored half of Jensen’s issues yet and he was already coming off as a crazy bastard.

 

‘Yeah, well lucky it’s not up to you then isn’t it, Jensen, because I do.  I loved you since that moment on the rooftop and I’ve loved you every moment since.’  Jared splayed the hand on Jensen’s chest and gently pushed Jensen back onto the pillows.  Jensen, still a little dazed from Jared’s confession, went without argument till he was lying on his back with Jared hovering above him.  ‘And like I said, _nothing_ , is ever gonna change that.’  He leaned down and kissed Jensen deeply until he had Jensen arching up against his body.

 

Jared held his hips down and that jolted Jensen right back to reality; his pants had fallen down a little more when Jared had pushed him back the second time, revealing his sharp hip bones over the waistband.  Jared had stopped moving his hands, his thumbs still for the first time since he’d started touching Jensen and no longer rubbing the soothing circles they had been.  He knew that Jared had felt it and it was so much worse than the scars on his chest.

  

Jensen watched apprehensively as Jared pulled away from him and looked down to where his hand still rested on Jensen’s hip.  Jensen swallowed and it sounded loud in the silent room.  He watched as Jared peeled his hand away to see what was scribed into the skin on Jensen’s hip, the sharp intake of breath from Jared told Jensen that he’d read it.  Jensen looked to the side staring at Jared’s wardrobe, anywhere but at the man above him, he could feel the flush of shame burning his cheeks red as he laid there with his defilement written all over his body.

 

He was shocked when he felt Jared breath on his ear, ‘I love you Jensen.’  And Jared kissed him again.  Jensen had to be dreaming, there was no other explanation for it, this couldn’t be playing out this way.  Jared was _meant_ to be disgusted, meant to tear his hands away before Jensen’s vile body got him dirty but instead Jared was trailing his hands down Jensen’s sides and kissing and nipping the side of his neck.  

 

Jensen couldn’t hold back the moan as Jared thrust his hard cock downwards into his own answering erection, his dick having somewhat perked up from the pleasure/pain sensation of Jared biting and licking at his neck and chest.  ‘Jay!’  He choked out before he could help himself, biting down hard on his bottom lip to stop any more wayward words shooting out of his mouth and embarrassing him.

 

Jared smirked and kissed him again, nipping at his bottom lip, until Jensen released it from his own teeth, ‘Don’t hold back, baby, I wanna hear you, wanna hear that you like what I’m doing to you.’  Jensen flushed again, half embarrassment, half arousal and damn near yelled when Jared surprised him by shoving his enormous hand into Jensen’s pants and wrapping it around his cock, stroking it hard and firm.  ‘You like that, baby?’  

 

Jensen nodded shakily as his eyes fluttered closed and he was so close, he was gonna…and then Jared’s hand was gone.  Jensen whined and humped his hips up wantonly looking for that miraculous hand, opening his eyes and giving Jared an angry, questioning look.   
  
  
  
Jared just smirked and leaned down to kiss him before whispering in his ear, ‘Not yet, baby, you don’t come till I’m inside you.’  Figured that Jared would be toppy in bed, he was pretty damn competitive and commanding on the football field so it figured he’d be the same in the bedroom.  That probably shouldn’t be as much of a turn on to Jensen as it was.  He tried to glare at Jared but it probably would have worked better if his erection hadn’t twitched at Jared’s dirty whisper in his ear.  ‘Don’t look at me like that, Jen, trust me, this is gonna be fucking  unbelievable .’  

 

  
Jensen damn near whimpered at that.  Jared moved away from the bed, stripping off his shirt and pants quickly and pulling his boxers down his legs and throwing them to the floor, unashamedly.  And, _wow_ , it wasn’t like the guy had anything to be ashamed of; Jensen had known that Jared was build but _Jesus fucking Christ_ , the guy had muscles on his muscles.  And he was hung like a fucking horse; it was huge.  Jared heard a cough and then, mortified, realised he’d been staring right at his boyfriend’s cock for at least a minute and blushed bright red.

 

Jared just grinned and moved back to the bed, ‘Like what you see, baby?’  Jensen just nodded, still blushing, it was pretty obvious that he did like what he saw.  ‘Good, because the view from up here is pretty damn amazing too.’  Yeah, _right_ , as if Jensen could even compare to Jared, the guy was a fucking Greek God.   
  
  
  
‘Don’t!  I can hear you thinking Jen.  Seriously, you are easily the hottest guy on campus; you don’t see it but half the student body watches you walking across the quad with Chris every morning.  There are at least five girls in your psyche class that don’t actually take psyche, they just spend their free period in there watching you and hoping you’ll talk to them.  And there’s this guy on the football team, _think_ he’s the quarterback, who thinks you’re pretty much the sexiest thing he’s ever seen, so stop doubting yourself.  You’re so much more than you see.’  He leaned down to kiss Jensen again, ‘And that’s easily the longest conversation I’ve ever had during sex so maybe we could get down to the actual sex now, yeah?’  He smiled at Jensen, and Jensen, still a little stunned just nodded, ‘Good.’

 

The zipper on his pants seemed loud in the room as Jared pulled it down.  He moaned when Jared put his large hand right over his cock and massaged it through his boxers whilst he used the other to pull the jeans down and off his legs as Jensen struggled to keep his hips from bucking up into Jared’s hand.  Jensen’s heartbeat sky-rocketed when he felt Jared’s fingers trace the waistband of his boxers, just the whisper of a promise of putting his hand back inside.  _God_ , Jensen wanted him to put it back, he wanted the feel of skin on skin again.

 

Then, suddenly, cold air hit his cock as Jared pulled his boxers down fast and off his legs.  The change in sensation from too hot to too cold almost had Jensen coming but he remembered Jared’s earlier words and closed his eyes to stave it off a little longer. 

 

Jensen felt Jared staring at him and opened his eyes to look up at the taller man.  Jared was just looking down at him, stretched out over his body, ‘So gorgeous, knew you’d be beautiful everywhere, just wait here, baby.’  Jared was off the bed in an instant and disappearing into the bathroom the next.

 

Jensen’s cock was harder than he could ever remember it being, he was desperate for someone to touch it.  Almost unconsciously, he brought his hand down and started pumping it slowly with his hand.  As he felt himself getting close to the edge, he sped up his hand and squeezed slightly, bringing himself closer.

 

A sharp slap to the back of his hand had him opening his eyes to see Jared standing over him again.   ‘What did I say, Jensen?’  He pulled Jensen’s hand away from his cock and raised it above his head before bringing the other one up with it.  ‘Since you can’t seem to keep your hands to yourself, I want you to keep them there and not move them till I tell you that you can okay, baby.’

 

Jensen knew that he should be telling Jared where he could shove his orders but he still didn’t move his hands from where Jared had put them and he couldn’t help the moan that broke free when Jared leaned in and whispered ‘Good boy’ in his ear.

 

Jensen tried to keep himself still as Jared put one hand back on his cock, pumping it slowly again, steadily enough to keep Jensen right on the edge of his orgasm but not enough to tip him over.  The bastard.  ‘Jay?’  It came out less of a question and more of a whimper. 

 

‘What do you want, baby?’

 

‘I…I…’  He felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment even under the flush of arousal painting his body.  He didn’t think he could say it.  His breath hitched when he felt Jared stroke a finger over his hole, not pressing in, just stroking.  ‘ _Please_.’  He said brokenly, he felt like Jared was taking him apart and he had never felt so good in his whole life.  

 

‘This what you want, Jensen?  You want me in here?’  To punctuate the question, Jared let the tip of his finger slip into Jensen’s ass before removing it again.

 

Jensen nodded his head jerkily and pressed his head back against the pillow as Jared pushed a long digit all the way into his hole.  It burned for a moment but Jared kept his finger still allowing Jensen’s body to adjust to the intrusion.  Jensen’s breathing was becoming more erratic and his hips were moving of their own accord, trying to get Jared further in.  

 

The slap on his ass cheek had him crying out and clenching down on the finger in his ass.  ‘No moving, Jensen, we do this my way.  Don’t make me put you over my lap.’  Jensen couldn’t help the twitch of his hips at the idea of Jared spanking him over his huge lap with his _huge_ hands.  The fingers of Jared’s other hand traced over the red mark on Jensen’s ass and it was the sweetest mixture of pleasure and pain that Jensen had ever experienced.  ‘Or maybe I won’t, it doesn’t seem like it would be all that much of a punishment for you, Jensen.’  Jared let his fingers dig into the flesh of Jensen’s red ass, for a second, making Jensen gasp in shock and unexpected arousal.  He clearly had a spanking kink, who knew?  

 

Jensen was just starting to get his breathing under control, as much as he could with Jared’s finger up his ass and his hand caressing his red ass cheek, reminding him constantly of the stinging red skin and how it gotten that way.  When Jared began to pump his finger in and out of Jensen’s ass, it went smoothly, eased by the lube Jared had brought back from the bathroom, and Jensen felt the man add another finger and start pumping both of them into him.  ‘That’s it baby, open up for me.’  Jensen just nodded, lost in the sensations of that slight burning with the overwhelming sense of fullness and Jared, _Jared_ everywhere.

 

The burning increased when he felt Jared scissor his fingers in his ass and he hissed at the sting.  ‘Shhh it’s okay, Jen, it’ll get better in a minute.’  He brought his hand back down to Jensen’s cock and started to stroke it back to hardness again.  

 

Jared was right, the burning only lasted a moment as he focused on Jared’s tight, hot grip on his cock.  He barely even felt Jared add the third finger until he pressed back into Jared’s hand and felt that the intrusion was much wider than it had been before.

 

‘I…I…I’m ready Jay, _please.’_ He had been hanging on the edge for at least half an hour whilst Jared played his body like a goddamn instrument; there was no doubt that Jared had a control kink in the bedroom.  What was a bit more of a surprise, though, was that Jensen really, _really_ liked it.

 

‘Okay, baby, I’ll give you what you need.’  Jensen heard the crinkle of foil and then felt something larger than Jared’s fingers pressing against his hole and he screwed up his eyes.  He swallowed trying to quell down the sudden fear that washed over him, it had hurt last time, _really_ hurt, and he wasn’t sure that he was ready to go through all that again.  

 

‘Jensen, open your eyes and look at me.’  All trace of teasing was gone from Jared’s face and he looked more serious than Jensen had ever seen him look, ‘Don’t worry.  If you need me to stop at any time, I’ll stop immediately, you just say the word.  We can stop now if you need to.  You never have to worry with me, I promise to take care of you, I’ll never hurt you.’  The sincerity in the man’s voice helped the rest of his anxiety drain away and he nodded, giving Jared the all clear to keep going.

 

Jensen felt Jared press in and whilst it burned a little, it was so much better than it had been that time before.  Jared stopped every time the pain got too much for Jensen and held himself still until Jensen nodded for him to start moving again.   Once Jared was fully inside, he held himself still, looking down at Jensen, looking at him like he was trying to read him.  Jared obviously saw what he wanted because he bent down and kissed Jensen deeply whilst pulling almost all the way out and thrusting back in.

 

‘Ah!’  Jensen gasped and Jared smiled wickedly and thrust in again, changing the angle slightly each time until Jensen felt something explode inside him, ‘Jesus Fucking Christ.’

 

‘Just call me Jared.’  Jared winked and set up a punishing rhythm that had him hitting that same place every time, making Jensen see stars.  Finally, it was too much, after having been on edge since they had gotten on the bed and Jensen came with a shout, arching off the bed. 

 

Jared leaned forward again and kissed him again, ‘So beautiful, so perfect, baby.’   Jensen didn’t have the capacity to do anything but nod as Jared continued to thrust into him until he felt Jared tense up and curse as he came into the condom.   Jared pulled out gently and landed on the bed next to Jensen, breathing heavily, his eyes closed.

 

Then he turned to Jensen, propping his head up on his elbow and gently pulled Jensen’s hands down.  Jensen hadn’t realised till then that they hadn’t moved, at all, from where Jared had put them.  He blushed at that thought and his spent cock gave a weak twitch against his thigh.

 

Jared, tenderly, kissed each one of his knuckles and pushed slightly at Jensen’s shoulder till he lay on his side.  Jensen felt Jared press up against his back, wind a strong arm around his stomach and pull him close; they were going to be a sticky mess in the morning but right then, Jensen, feeling safe in his boyfriend’s arms, couldn’t bring himself to care.  
  
  



	13. Chapter Thirteen.

 

** Chapter Thirteen. **

 

After the disaster that was Jensen coming back from Jared’s last Away game, Jared had gone alone this time and Jensen had been left in the capable, but _very_ over protective, hands of Chris while the other man was away.   

 

Jensen had needed some time off campus and, in all honesty, some time away from his best friend as well.  The man hadn’t left his side since Jared had gotten on the football team bus that morning and it was kind of stifling, to say the least.  

 

Jensen had told his friend that he was going to the public library in town which was only about 45 minutes away from the campus and always had other people there.  It was, also, pretty much the only place that he thought Chris wouldn’t follow him.  Chris and libraries simply didn’t mix; too much quiet, too few people and _way_ too many books.  Plus, according to Chris, the librarians weren’t even hot and it was ruining all his library related porn fantasies just being there.  

 

So there Jensen was sitting in the middle of the fantasy section, his feet propped up on a handy chair in front of him, as he let himself get immersed in a world without blood and death and crazy serial killers that wanted to cut your heart out. 

 

‘J-J-Jensen?’  A small voice behind him quietly said.  Jensen closed his eyes and prayed for patience that he really didn’t possess right then.  It was Gabriel, one of the assistance librarians.  The guy was sweet and all; he had kind of followed Jensen around like a lost puppy the first few times he had come in there until Chris had seen how uncomfortable it had made Jensen and had had a kindly chat with Gabe.  After that, whenever Jensen came in the guy had just watched him from afar, like the whole freaking time he was there.  It made Jensen’s skin itch to have that kind of scrutiny on him.  

 

It was one of the reasons he so rarely went to the town library when he could just about make do with the university one.

 

‘Hey Gabe, how you doing, man?’  He asked politely, hoping to get the awkward small talk out of the way so he could get back to his books and back to ignoring his creepy almost stalker.

 

‘I-I-I’m good Jensen.  H-h-haven’t seen you around in a w-w-while.’  He sounded sad and Jensen risked a look up at him from his book.  Wow, the guy was way too fucking close; he had practically  moulded himself to Jensen’s side and, _Jesus Christ,_ did the guy just sniff him?  Gabe was nice, sweet even, but he was a little too intense for Jensen, too focused on him, especially after everything that had happened.  To be honest, he just wasn’t Jensen’s type.  He was shorter than Jensen, skinnier and just plain smaller.  Jensen liked his partners tall, muscular and stronger than him; guys able to manhandle him into whatever position they wanted, his type was, well…his type was Jared actually.

 

Jensen subtly shifted himself away from the other man and replied as calmly as he could given his generally high anxiety levels. 

 

‘Um, yeah, no…I haven’t been able to get off campus in the last few weeks, you know, loads of assignments and stuff.’  Jensen fumbled for a suitable lie.  He kind of figured that _‘You creep me out too much for me to come here anymore’_ was a tad harsh.

 

‘And all those killings.’  Or maybe not.  Jensen blinked in shock at the abrupt statement.  That was a little odd right?  And no stutter that time, not even a hint of one, like for once the man was completely confident in what he was saying.  _That_ wasn’t good.

 

Jensen’s instincts were pretty good, developed from years of constantly looking over his shoulder, and they were telling him that he needed to get the fuck out of there.  He looked around the fantasy section and saw that there was not one other soul there with them, just him and Gabe.  Shit.

 

‘Yeah.  Right.  Well, I gotta get going Gabe, I got a really important paper due tomorrow and…and I don’t want to be up all night trying to get it done.’  Jensen got up from his chair and moved away from the shorter man.

 

A hand shot out and grabbed his arm and Jensen was reminded so starkly of that hand shooting out from under Danneel’s bed that he stumbled backwards, almost falling over in his haste to get away.  Gabe’s grip was surprisingly strong.  ‘But you only j-j-just got h-h-here?’  He questioned.

 

How did the guy even know that?  ‘Yeah, but…’  Jensen had nothing, only panic, so he tore his arm out of the other man’s grip and ran for the library doors.  He heard Gabe calling his name as he rummaged in his pockets for Jared’s truck keys.  

 

Jensen looked over his shoulder only to see that Gabe had followed him out of the building and was nearing him and Jared’s truck.  Jensen quickly slipped into the seat and locked the door, feeling calmer knowing that he had a glass and metal barrier between himself and the strange librarian.  

 

Jensen put the key in the ignition and looked back at the library one last time.  Gabe was staring at the truck, with a wide eyed look on his face, and frantically waving his arms around.  He was shouting something, probably urging Jensen back into the library.  But over the roar of the engine, Jensen couldn’t hear what the other man was saying.

 

Jensen hit the accelerator, giving the truck more gas than it needed and sped off back down the road to the university leaving the crazy librarian behind him.

 

  
****

 

  
Jensen could feel his heart rate slowing down and his breath was no longer coming in short pants.  It was dark by then, and there were no other cars on the back roads back to the university.  It felt oddly quiet after the encounter he’d just had.  Jensen checked in his rear view mirror but saw nothing but inky blackness.  

 

He let his mind wander back to the library and what it could all mean.  Could the guy after them be Gabe?  It seemed so unlikely but, then again, some of the most notorious serial killers were people one would least suspect - look at Gacy or Dahmer; both charming but complete homicidal sadists and hell, didn’t some people think Jack the Ripper was a freaking Royal?  So yeah, Jensen wasn’t going to rule out _anyone_ , no matter how unlikely they seemed.

 

Jensen took his phone out to give Chris a call to tell him that he was coming back a little early.  He wasn’t going to tell him about the Gabe fiasco, though, Chris would kill the poor guy for sure this time and Jensen was about 90%, well 75% sure that he wasn’t their guy; he was just a little weird and a little touchy feely.  The thing bleeped in his hand.  

 

Gabe?  Jensen sighed; he’d given the guy his number the first time they’d met thinking that maybe Gabe would make a good study buddy at the library, before he, you know, got weird.  The man had clearly kept his number.  He pressed the message open, keeping one eye on the road and one on his phone, holding his breath wondering what kind of weird apology the guy was going to give for earlier. 

 

** ‘JENSEN!  THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE BACK SEAT.’ **

 

Jensen’s eyes shot up to his rear view mirror again but, instead of the inky blackness he had seen before, he saw white teeth pulled into a smile in a face hidden by a beige hood.  _Fuck_!  The axe hit to the left of his hand on the steering wheel and the truck swerved dangerously close to the edge of the road before Jensen managed to bring it back under control.  His hand was stinging and he could feel blood dripping from a shallow cut on the top of his wrist and down his arm.

 

Jensen ducked a moment later when he heard the axe whistle through the air again, narrowly missing his head.  He was _not_ having another car accident.  Jensen eased his foot off the accelerator and pushed it gently onto the brake, hoping the man behind him wouldn’t notice the slight change in speed.  The axe came down again and lodged in the seat inches from his shoulder, had Jensen not moved to the left, at the last moment, as he had seen it come down out, it would have chopped his fucking arm off.  

 

Jensen allowed the car to slow down a little more before making the decision and throwing himself from the vehicle.  

 

Jensen rolled several times, bringing his arms up in front of the face and protecting his head.  It hurt like a son of a bitch but it was better than being hacked up by a fucking axe.  Jensen watched Jared’s truck go over the side of the road, praying that the damn thing would just freaking explode with the asshole still inside.  He slowly got to his feet on very shaky legs and looked down at the damage.  His arms and hands were terribly scratched up but it felt like they had protected his face and he was sure that he hadn’t hit his head – so yay, no concussion.  Jensen’s jeans were ripped open and his legs were bleeding in several places; the denim rubbed painfully over the grazes but it didn’t look like anything too serious. 

 

Jensen looked around to try and get his bearings and almost cried with relief when he saw the first buildings of the campus about a miles walk away; thank God he had made it almost all the way back in his car before that psycho had shown himself.  Jensen took off at a run, _oh okay_ , a fast limping walk, back to campus, desperate to get back to his best friend.  Hopefully his boyfriend would be back from his game by then.  

 

****

 

Jensen struggled back to campus, limping on his painful legs.  When this was all over it was gonna be a long time before Jensen would ever be able to sit comfortably in a car again; first Jake, then the accident and now he’d almost had an axe to the back of the head.  Yeah, a damn long time.  

 

Jensen fumbled for his keys, he had put Jared’s key on his own set a couple of weeks ago.  They had agreed that it would be better if Jensen _always_ had somewhere that he could go and lock himself up in if Jared wasn’t there.  Like then for instance.  He’d called Jared a dozen times as he’d made his way back to campus but he hadn’t got any reply.  He’d be freaking out if the killer hadn’t just spent the last twenty minutes trying to chop his head off with an axe.  The man _couldn’t_ have been trying to lop Jared’s head off.  That was some comforting logic, about as comforting as things ever got in Jensen’s world. 

 

Finally, he found the right key and fit it into the lock.  It stuck for a moment before the door jerked open and allowed him inside.  Jensen quickly turned and relocked the door, pulled the chain across and checked all the window locks.  As he went around and checked under the beds, in the closets and even behind the shower curtain he pulled out his phone, needing to hear his best friend’s voice.  It never hurt to be cautious; Jensen had learned that the hard way and he still forgot sometimes. 

 

‘Hey Chris, it’s Jensen, I’ve just been attacked in the truck, call me.’  

 

He’d been so stupid, he would normally always check the back seat before starting his journey, especially given this guy’s current penchant for urban legends, but he’d been too preoccupied by the other weirdo he’d been leaving behind to check.   Secure in the knowledge that the room looked empty and that no axe wielding murderers were going to jump out at him, he took out his mobile again.   

 

Jensen had no missed calls or messages from Jared, but if he was training then that wasn’t a huge surprise.  _God_ , the guy would probably freak out at the number of messages Jensen had left on his phone.

 

But he needed to let Jared know that he had made it back to Jared’s dorm room and was planning on spending the night.  Jared would definitely make Jensen feel better about his brush with death; Jared had a remarkable talent of making him forget all the crap that was going on, well actually, Jared tended to make Jensen forget his own name.

 

He called the phone and was surprised when he heard the distinctive ringtone of his boyfriend’s cell - ‘ _Carry on My Wayward Son.’_ Jensen smiled and moved over to Jared’s desk to pick it up; Jared would have thrown a fit had Jensen been the one to leave his cell in his room.  As Jensen neared the desk, he felt his stomach flop at what he saw there. 

 

Hundreds of black and white pictures of Jensen; some of them _years_ old, back when…back from the first time around.  Jensen’s shaking hands shifted through the pile of photos; there were some of him sleeping, some of him with Misha, and Jake and Chad.  _Jesus Christ_.  It was Jared.  It was Jared all along.

 

Jensen backed away, he fucking needed to get out of here.  He needed to get back to Chris and warn the other man too; Chris might not have liked Jared but he certainly trusted that Jared wasn’t a psycho killer.

 

Jensen backed further away and tripped over something on the floor.  He fell into a rickety old wardrobe by the bed and the door swung wide open with the impact.  An axe fell out and thudded onto the ground next to him.  Jensen just stared at it in shock; it must have been hidden by the clothes when he had checked the room earlier.  The door hung open and Jensen held his breath as he looked inside.   Hanging next to one of Jared’s football sweaters was an old too familiar beige trench coat, complete with a hood.  Jensen pulled it from the wardrobe and dropped it to the floor with the axe the moment he saw the blood splattered across the mid drift of the garment.

 

Jared.

 

_ Jared _ ?

 

How could he do this?

 

Jensen was already moving; he wrenched the chain off the door and yanked it open and all but threw himself outside.  He didn’t run; he didn’t want to attract any attention to himself until he had reached Campus Security and could get Jared’s crazy ass arrested.

 

‘Jen?’

 

Shit!

 

‘Jensen?  What is it?  I thought we were meeting at yours tonight?  Has something happened?’  Jared shot off questions, feigning concern.

 

_ Too fucking right something’s happened, I’ve just found out that  _ you’re _the pyscho who murdered my family all those years ago._   ‘No, it’s all good, Jay.’  The nickname tasted sour on his tongue.  ‘I’m gonna have to call a rain-check on tonight though, I need to find Chris, I’ve got to talk to him about something.’

  
  
Jared narrowed his eyes at him then, clearly suspicious, and Jensen prayed that he hadn’t seen through Jensen’s lies, ‘Alright, call me when you get home so I know you’re there.’  

 

‘Will do.’  And with that Jensen resumed his fast paced walking; away from Jared and away from the axe and trench coat in that room.

 

Jensen heard the quiet, ‘What the…?’  Then Jensen heard Jared yell and he broke into a run, he hadn’t been on the track team in high school for nothing, Jensen was pretty damn fast when he put his mind to it, ‘JENSEN!  NO!  JENSEN, COME BACK HERE!’

 

_Like fuck!_ And Jensen just carried on running.  
  
  



	14. Chapter Fourteen.

  
 

** Chapter Fourteen.  **

 

Jensen ran through the quad desperately trying to get his cell phone out of his pocket.  After a few moments fumbling, he found the small black device and flipped it open, pressing 1 on the speed dial.

 

‘Chris, it’s Jared.  The fucking killer it’s…it’s Jared.  Call me back, let me know you’re alright.’  He snapped the phone closed.

 

Jensen called campus security next but they simply told him that pranks were not appreciated in light of the students who had been lost.   He tried to explain who he was and that all the victims were _his_ friends but the call operator just told him that only made it worse and hung up on him.

   
 _God_ , he had found himself, once again, wishing his family was still around to help him, his brother would have handled this whole thing way better than Jensen ever could have.

 

_ 'Don't be such a pussy, Jen, just stand up to them, show 'em what you’re made of and they'll leave you the fuck alone.’ _

  
  
Although, to be honest, a pyscho killer intent on chopping him into little bits was slightly more intimidating than fifth grade bullies and he felt that his brother would probably have forgiven him for his reluctance to go head to head with the guy.

  
Jensen sped through the quad but as he neared Singer Hall again.  It was still considered a crime scene and a wave of unease washed over him when he saw a light in one of the top windows.  Call him paranoid, but no one was supposed to be in those buildings, even the cops had cleared out, only leaving their yellow crime scene tape behind. 

 

Jensen knew that was where all of this craziness was going to come to a head, once and for all. 

 

He pulled out the silver letter opener he'd picked up from Jared’s desk earlier, as he pushed open the heavy doors of the derelict structure.  Jensen couldn't hear anything, at first, but soon voices began to filter through the silence.  

 

Jensen walked towards the noise and realised that the voices were arguing.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognised one of them as Chris and threw the door of the room open.  Jensen was surprised to see Jared there too; the two of them looking angrily at one another. 

  
'What the hell is going on here?'  Jensen kept the knife held up in Jared’s direction. Jared sighed.

   
'You've got it all wrong, Jen, I have no idea where those photos came from.'   Jensen moved closer to Chris, wanting to make sure that his friend was alright.   'Jensen, wait, I think you need to step away from Chris. Step away and walk towards me.'

 

Jensen looked at Jared like he was mad, which given the fact that he was a serial killer he probably was, but he stopped moving all the same.  'What the hell are you talking about?'

  
'I heard screaming, Jen, that's the only reason I'm here.  I found...Katie downstairs, she's dead.  I'm so sorry.  But the only other person here was Chris and he's fucking _covered_ in blood Jensen.'  Jensen turned to look at Chris then, _really_ look and there _was_ an awful lot of blood on Chris.  His clothes were practically covered in it, drops dripping ominously, in the quiet of the night, onto the wooden floorboards.

   
He started to back away from them both.  'You cut yourself Chris?'

   
'No, it’s not my blood, Jen.  I found Katie and I tried to help her but...I was too late, this bastard got here before me, he chopped her up real good, _Christ_ , probably with the same axe he tried to get you with.'  Chris spat vehemently.

 

Jensen froze. 

 

'How did...?  Chris, I never told you he attacked me with an axe.'  The silence that followed was damn near deafening.  This could _not_ be happening.

  
'Yeah you did, on the phone, you left me that message.'

  
'No, Chris I didn't.'  Jensen took a couple of deep breaths, willing himself not to be sick.  He raised the knife in front of him swinging it between his boyfriend and his best friend.

  
'Well, that’s how the legend goes isn’t it, Jen?  I mean, the guy's been pretty accurate so far, I was just filling in the blanks.'  Chris explained but something in his eyes unnerved Jensen and he didn't know how he knew it but he did; Chris was lying. 

 

Which meant he did _know_ about the axe in the car. Which also meant... shit, shit _shit_. 

  
  
Chris' shoulders slumped as he watched Jensen reach the same conclusion Jared had come to.  'Well fuck, you weren't meant to find out till I'd gotten this bastard out of the way but you know what they say about best laid plans and all.'  Chris reached behind himself and pulled a gun out from the back of his jeans, aiming it right at _Jared_.

   
Nonononono, not again, not Jared, not now.   'No please, Chris, _please_.'  He took a step towards Chris, 'Why are you doing this?'

  
_'Why_?' Chris looked at him then but kept his gun trained on Jared, 'Because  I needed to show you again after all these years that I'm the only one who can look after you, I'm the only one you can depend on, and I'm the only one who'll do anything, _anything,_ to have you.'

  
That wasn't right, Chris wasn't gay.  And years?  He'd known Chris barely over a year.  'Chris, I've only known you since August, I don't understand...'

  
'Yes Jensen, _you've_ only known _me_ since you were 20 but _I've_ known _you_ since you were seventeen…and I've known you pretty damn well.  As good as Jay here anyway.'  Chris smirked.  It took a moment for Jensen to register what that look meant and when he did his stomach did a violent jolt. 

 

It was Chris?  Chris killed Matt, killed his family, killed all his friends and now he wanted to kill Jared too.  

 

Well, no fucking way!  That was not going happen, not because of Jensen, not again.  Jensen had gotten Jared tangled up in all this, it was his job to get the guy out of it again. 

 

‘Jesus, why didn’t you say anything Chris?  I’ve been crushing on you for over a year, why do you think I didn’t date anyone else?  I was just waiting for you to notice me.’  It was weak, but hey, the guy was crazy so who knew what he would believe.  He took a step in Chris’s direction despite the hissed ‘ _Jensen, no_ ’ from Jared.

 

‘What about this jerk then?’  Chris asked, waving his gun in Jared’s direction, but at least he was still looking at Jensen, that was a good sign right?

 

‘What, _Jared_?’  Jensen laughed and hoped it didn’t sound as fake to Chris as it did to his own ears.  ‘I just found the guy that would make you the most jealous, piss you off the most, and was hoping that maybe that might get you to stand up and take what you wanted.’  Jensen moved slowly over to Chris, he needed to get that gun or, at least, get it away from Chris.  When he reached the shorter man, Jensen forced his shaking hands through the man’s long brown hair, conveniently placing himself between Chris and Jared, and more importantly, Jared and the gun.

 

Jensen watched as Chris’ eyes flickered closed for a second in pleasure and he made a quick grab for the gun.  But Chris was too fast and he opened his steel blue eyes to look right at Jensen, a smirk on his lips.  ‘You’re good Jensen, but you’re not _that_ good.’  Chris grabbed his arm with surprising strength and threw Jensen against the wall and swung back to aim the gun at Jared. 

 

But Jared was gone. 

 

The relief that washed over Jensen almost made him want to cry.  If he was going to die, that was…that was almost fine as long as he didn’t take any more people he cared about with him.

 

The relief was short lived as fear began to claw at his insides knowing that he was alone with the guy who had tormented him and ruined his life all those years ago.   ‘Well, Jensen, at least this one knew when to quit didn’t he?  Unlike _Matt_ ,’  Chris said his former boyfriend’s name with such disdain that it made Jensen feel sick; Matt had been a good guy and Chris had no right to talk about him that way or talk about him at all actually.   

 

‘He saw me, you know, leaving one of my letters in your post box.  He confronted me about it outside that shitty little restaurant he worked in and I told him that, if he just backed the fuck down and left you and me alone, he wouldn’t get hurt.  The idiot told me to fuck off and threatened me, _me,_ away from you like _he_ wasn’t the one getting in the way of _our_ future together.  Well, let’s just say, when someone pisses me off there’s never much left of them after I’m done with them.’ 

 

‘And my family?  What the hell did they ever do?  I’m pretty sure my twelve year old sister didn’t tell you to fuck off.’  Jensen said angrily, it was all so pointless; he and Chris would never be together and apparently that was what they had all died for.

 

‘That was unfortunate but there aren’t many permanent ways of getting family out of the picture except for the obvious.  You didn’t need _them_ anymore, you had me, but whilst they were still around, you were going to keep running back to them instead of to me.’  Chris shrugged at him, like the murder of Jensen’s entire family had been nothing, no more than a means to an end.

 

‘ _Jesus Fucking Christ_!’  Jensen shouted, running a hand through his short hair.  ‘You never thought of just saying ‘ _Hey’_ and asking me out for a fucking coffee!’  Jensen couldn’t believe it, it was all so ludicrous and, just as he suspected, all his fault. 

 

‘I fucking tried!  I worked at that Costa outside your school for more than a year.  I asked you if you wanted to get a coffee with me and you said no.  This…all of this is on you Jensen.’  Chris shouted back, clearly getting frustrated by Jensen’s lack of co-operation.  

 

Jensen didn’t even remember that, he would have sworn blind that he’d never met the man in front of him before last year.  He barely even remembered there being a Costa outside his school. 

 

‘And all this - killing off all of our friends?’

 

‘Again, regrettable, I kind of liked Steve, but sacrifices must be made to get the things we want.  And the urban legend spin was a nice touch, don’t you think?  Do you remember why?  It was the first psyche paper we ever worked on together; you were so damn fascinated about where they came from; it was kind of my gift to you, you got to see them in action.  Awesome right?’  He grinned at Jensen, a grin that Jensen had never seen on Chris’ face.  ‘And now, Jensen, I’ve finally got what I wanted because there’s no way you won’t come with me.  You’ve got _nothing_ left, _no one_ left.’  Jensen swallowed as he walked backwards away from the armed man.  The backs of his legs hit the old, rickety bed that he hadn’t even noticed was in the room before.  No way.  _That_ was not happening again but he couldn’t come up with a plan, not with the gun pointing at his heart as Chris used it to push him backwards onto the bed.

 

Jensen bit his lip and closed his eyes, he wouldn’t cry for this asshole. 

 

And then to Jensen’s surprise, a heavy weight fell against his chest. 

 

He opened his eyes and saw Jared standing next to the bed with a huge wooden plank in his hand, ‘Wrong, asshole, he’s got me.’  Jared picked up the gun gingerly between his thumb and forefinger and threw it across the room.

 

Jensen breathed out a sigh of relief and pushed Chris’s body off him.  Jared helped him up off the bed, ‘You okay, baby?’  Jared brushed a hand through his hair and Jensen just nodded into his chest, ‘I would never do anything to hurt you, never.’

 

‘What are we gonna do about him?’  Jensen nodded over his shoulder at the still figure on the bed.  

 

It all happened so fast; Chris screamed and brought a large knife up over his head ready to plunge down on them both. 

 

BANG! BANG!

 

Chris looked down at his chest to see two bullet wounds; Jared and Jensen watched as he fell to the bed and then slowly turned to the door. 

 

Standing there was a bloody and beaten up looking Chad, ‘Thought it looked like you needed some help losers!’

 

Jensen and Jared looked at each other and then burst out laughing; a hysterical sound born of nearly dying so many times in the last 24 hours.

 

When they had gotten themselves under control again, Jensen took the gun from Chad and put a bullet in Chris’ head.  At Jared and Chad’s quizzical and slightly disturbed looks he simply shrugged, ‘I’d like to see him come back from that.’

 

With that, the three of them walked out into the dawn.

 

THE END.

 

 

THANKS FOR READING!!  xx

 


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